A Lifetime With You
by wanderinglostsoul
Summary: An AU fic set in Potterverse, this is a possibility of what could have been for Albus and Minerva. While it is ADMM-centric, major characters such as Grindelwald, Voldemort, Severus Snape, the Marauders, Hogwarts staff, Ministry officials, the Order members etc. feature prominently as well. Contains serious drama and romance. Please read and review!
1. Hogwarts' once-in-forever genius

_A/N:_ _A tribute to my OTP -_ _In this AU_ _fic_ _set in Potterverse_ _, Albus was born in 191_ _5_ _, 1_ _2_ _years older than Minerva who was born in 1927. It has been a long while but I felt that I should expand my ideas in "Magic Works" and finish telling the story of ADMM which I always thought could have happened, if only the ship was stronger in canon. I never saw why Albus could not be bisexual._

 _There may be some parts which are slow and dull and some parts which are simply too dramatic, but please bear with me, it is after all AU and only my imagination which stops and doesn't move or overflows with melodrama and crazy ideas at times._ :)

 _All the characters and major events are taken from Potterverse, and I have tried to keep to the original timeline as much as possible. In fact, I would appreciate it if you could read it with the original story in mind as most of the parts should fit in nicely. My intention is for this fic to be as realistic as possible, running parallel and in addition to the original story._

 **Chapter 1: Hogwarts' once-in-forever genius [1926, Autumn - 1931, Summer]**

"Albus Dumbledore!" called Deputy Headmaster Armando Dippet. Albus walked to the three-legged stool confidently. He knew that he would do well no matter which house the Sorting Hat placed him in. Even so, he had a preference towards Gryffindor as he was aware of its positive reputation and influence across society.

 _"Greatness..._ _y_ _es, I see,"_ the Sorting Hat mused. _"_ _A_ _mbition too... this definitely calls for a Slyther..._ _n_ _o? You would prefer to be in Gryffindor? Well... I don't see why not... lots of courage and loyalty here as well..._ _i_ _f you are sure then, GRYFFINDOR it is!"_

Albus beamed and hopped off the three-legged stool, seemingly unaware of the hushed chatter that had arisen all around him.

"Wait, isn't he the son of Percival Dumbledore? The one who was prosecuted for attacking Muggles?"

"I heard he is just as bad. Did he not just attack some other students on the Hogwarts Express?"

"Did the Sorting Hat really exclaim 'Gryffindor'? I thought I heard 'Slytherin'!"

"That was the one before him."

Dismissing the chatter, Albus strode over to join Elphias Doge at Gryffindor's table.

"I'm sorry, Albus," Elphias sniffled. "They are calling you names because you stood up to the bullies who laughed at me on the train."

"Don't worry about it, Elphias. They would have called me names anyway, seeing what my father did."

Albus Dumbledore was an exceptionally talented wizard. However, his childhood was marked by tragedy. His younger sister, Ariana, lost her mind when she was attacked by three Muggle boys who were frightened of her magic. His father was sentenced to Azkaban for going after those boys and he died in Azkaban subsequently. The Dumbledores moved to the village of Godric's Hollow and lived in isolation thereafter.

Nevertheless, none of the tragic events prevented Albus from ambition. He studied magic on his own and honed his skills. By the time he started school at Hogwarts, his abilities were remarkable. He hexed two third-year students during his first ride on the Hogwarts Express for laughing at Elphias Doge. Elphias had contracted dragon pox which left him with a pockmarked face, and nobody wanted to befriend him. The incident, coupled with the poor reputation of the Dumbledores due to what his father did, explained why Albus was treated with hostility during his first few months at Hogwarts' School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

xxxxx

Those who spoke ill of Albus found out very quickly that they were wrong. By the end of his first year, he was never again known as the son of a Muggle-hater, but nothing more or less than the most brilliant student ever seen at the Hogwarts. In his third year, he won the Barnabus Finkley Prize for Exceptional Spell-Casting, the youngest wizard ever to do so. In his fourth year, he became the British Youth Representative to the Wizengamot. He was well-loved by both his teachers and peers.

"Mr Dumbledore, are you ready for your trip?" Professor Dippet asked, as Albus stepped into his office. Albus was supposed to go to Cairo to receive his gold medal at the International Alchemical Conference. He had invented a method to liquefy spells into potions, something which had impressed Nicolas Flamel, the legendary alchemist, himself.

"Yes, sir, I am. But I wanted to discuss about it with you. You see, over the last weekend, my mother had been taken ill, and she had hoped for me to go back earlier during the holidays to look after my younger siblings."

"Oh dear, I'm very sorry to hear about your mother's illness. But Albus, everyone is expecting you at the conference! Nicolas Flamel himself insisted for your presence and personally made sure that the VIP tickets were delivered straight into your hands!"

Nicolas Flamel, always one for flamboyance, had sent two golden falcons which swooped right into the Great Hall during dinner time and caused a stir as they defecated right over the Headmaster's dinner.

"I'm flattered, Professor."

"Do I take it as a yes, then?" Professsor Dippet implored.

Albus nodded. He was secretly pleased that Nicolas Flamel had insisted on his presence at the conference. He would have hated it if he had to spend the first week of his holidays looking after his brother and sister, and miss the golden opportunity for international recognition.


	2. The kind of love that comes by only once

**Chapter 2:** **The** **k** **ind** **o** **f** **l** **ove that comes by only once in a lifetime** **[** **1931, Autumn - 1933,** **Winter** **]**

"And the champion for Durmstrang is... Gellert Grindelwald!" Professor Dippet announced.

Cheers and applause rose across the dining tables. A young man of Albus' age paraded the length of the Great Hall, pumping his fists into the air and waving around like a hero, to receive acknowledgements and well-wishes as Durmstang Institute's champion for the Triwizard Tournament.

Albus eyed him cautiously. This was the man who was going to be his fiercest competitor for the trophy. He had heard so much about Gellert Grindelwald – both the good and the bad. Much like himself, Grindelwald was the most brilliant student Durmstrang had ever seen. But he had a penchant for dark magic and never hesitated to use it to his advantage. Albus secretly thought that there was nothing wrong with that, even though he knew that his way of thinking would have shocked the world. To him, dark magic was merely another branch of magic which could be very useful if used in the right way.

To Albus' surprise, Gellert did not seem the dark, brooding kind which was normally associated with wizards who dabbled with dark magic. Albus observed as he bounded across the Great Hall fist-bumping his fellow Durmstrang students, exchanging pleasantries with Hogwarts' and Beauxbatons' students and exploding into raucous laughter. He had bright, golden hair which bounced with his every movement and a merry, wild disposition. Most of all, he was extremely handsome. He gave Albus a wink before he disappeared into the trophy room behind the staff table to await further instructions on the tournament. Albus felt his cheeks turn hot.

"Albus Dumbledore... I have heard nothing but good things about you!" Gellert Grindelwald exclaimed, when Albus finally entered the throne room as Hogwarts' champion. Gellert shook his hand warmly, and Albus felt a shiver down his spine when their hands touched.

"We will see which one of us comes out stronger in this, eh?" Gellert said, his infectious smile burning itself into Albus' mind for a long time to come.

xxxxx

The next few months were an exciting time for Albus. Despite their rivalry in the Triwizard Tournament, his friendship with Gellert had quickly blossomed into something special and impenetrable. Gellert had an attractive and winsome personality. He never failed to cheer Albus up when he was down, especially when he felt burdened with what was going on in his family. His mother had become severely ill and his younger siblings were growing to rely more on him. But Gellert was always there for him, no matter what happened.

Gellert brought Albus to Durmstrang's ship and showed him every nook and cranny in spite of protests from the other Durmstrang students who did not take so kindly to outsiders. In return, Albus gave Gellert a tour around Hogwarts and showed him many of his favourite spots. He even made exceptions for him, such as allowing him to use the Prefects' Bathroom on the fifth floor. Together, they snuck out of Hogwarts for adventures so that Albus could take his mind off the troublesome things which happened in his life. Together, they explored the depths of all kinds of magic, the most recent being the Deathly Hallows which Gellert had introduced to him.

"You see, Albus, anyone who possesses the Deathly Hallows would be very much invincible," Gellert spoke about the Deathly Hallows again one evening, as they were sitting on a hilltop overlooking Hogsmeade.

"The Elder Wand and the Invisibility Cloak are the ultimate forms of offensive and defensive powers, and these can be enjoyed for eternity if sustained by the Resurrection Stone!"

Albus laughed. He loved to see Gellert talk about things which he felt passionate about as he radiated positive energy and it made him more good-looking than ever.

"Suppose we had all of them. Which one would you choose to claim, Albus?"

Albus thought about it for a moment. "Definitely not the Resurrection Stone."

"Why not? I would have gone for the Resurrection Stone. If you are immortal, you could spend all your lifetime researching on how to be powerful even without the Elder Wand and the Invisibility Cloak."

"Well... because." Albus looked away, trying to hide a blush creeping onto his cheeks.

"Because? What kind of answer is that?"

But no matter how much Gellert pressed for an answer, Albus would not tell him why, because the truth was quite embarrassing. He did not want to have immortality if he could not spend all eternity with Gellert Grindelwald. In short, Albus Dumbledore was head-over-heels in love with this man.

xxxxx

"Gellert! Where have you been?" Albus rushed to their secret hideout in the Room of Requirements as soon as the Triwizard Tournament was over.

"Congratulations on winning the trophy, Albus," Gellert said with a slightly sheepish smile.

Albus had won the Triwizard Cup easily for Gellert did not turn up for the last task (and the champion from Beauxbatons was really not quite at their level).

"I was in Hogsmeade," Gellert admitted. "One of my sources informed me that he had found a clue as to where the Invisibility Cloak was and I simply had to go and see him."

"You gave up the tournament for that?" Albus' tone had a hint of incredulity.

"It's the Invisibility Cloak, Albus! It's not something that you can walk into a shop and ask for!"

"All right," Albus conceded. "So? Did you manage to find it?"

"Not yet. But don't worry, I will soon. And when I find it, I will give it to you as a gift, seeing that you're not interested in either of the other two items," Gellert said casually, not noticing Albus' blush.

Shortly after, Albus and Gellert had to part ways as the students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons left for home. They promised to write to each other often and to visit when they had time during the holidays or after graduation. Albus felt a keen sense of loss, for the past few months had been the happiest time of his life.

"Remember to write! You promised!" Albus shouted after Gellert, as Durmstrang's ship rose into the air.

xxxxx

In the summer of 1933, Albus graduated from Hogwarts with top honours. But he was not at ease. He heard that Gellert had been expelled from Durmstrang just before graduation and he wanted to go to him as soon as he could, on the pretext of taking the traditional 'Grand Tour' of the world with Elphias Doge. Albus' woes only increased when he could not even do this, for on the eve before he was to embark on the tour with Elphias, his mother was killed by an outburst of uncontrollable magic from his sister. Resigned, Albus returned to Godric's Hollow and became the head of his family. He felt trapped and wasted, and was full of bitter resentment.

One could imagine the scale of his happiness when he returned to Godric's Hollow to find Gellert waiting for him at his cottage.

"Gellert! Why are you here?" Albus asked, unable to contain his sheer delight despite the tragedy which had just occurred in his family.

"I was visiting my great-aunt, Bathilda Bagshot. That was when I found out that she was your neighbour. I'm sorry for your loss, Albus. I have arranged for the funeral proceedings and I hope that you will take things in your stride."

Surprised by Gellert's thoughtfulness, Albus was ever so touched and grateful. "Thank you, Gellert," he managed to stammer, as Gellert embraced him warmly.

After his mother's funeral, Albus had a fantastic time with Gellert. He enjoyed himself so much that he often neglected his duties – forgetting to check on Aberforth's studies and not making sure that Ariana took her healing potions on time. Gradually, Aberforth and Ariana grew resentful towards their older brother and would not open up to him. This resulted in a vicious cycle as Albus, disheartened by their distant behaviour, put in less effort to be close to them. He preferred very much to spend his time with Gellert.

xxxxx

"Have you thought about what I proposed last week?" Gellert asked as he strolled into Albus' backyard one day. Albus was sitting at the garden table reading _The Daily Prophet_ which was all about the recent incident where some halfwit had decided to fly a carriage over London and it was spotted by hundreds of Muggles, resulting in a riot.

The pair of them had talked many times about overturning the Statute of Secrecy and creating a new order in which wise and powerful wizards and witches were the benevolent overlords of the world which included Muggles. They would rule this world together. This way, unnecessary brawls between Muggles and their kind could be prevented easily.

Albus was drawn to this for two reasons. The main one was that he wanted power to protect his loved ones and the world against cruelty and xenophobia, as exhibited by the Muggle boys who tormented Ariana and those who rioted against the flying carriage. He was spurred by ambition and believed that he could do something great for society. The second, obviously, was that he would love to have something to do together with Gellert for the rest of their lives.

"Yes, I'm all for it," Albus affirmed.

"That's excellent! We should make preparations and get ready to leave by next week!"

"Next week? That's a little faster than I'd imagined. I have yet to speak to Aberforth about this, and I need to find someone who would take care of Ariana in my absence..." Albus trailed off. He was just beginning to realise that he had lots of preparation to do if he were to embark on this journey together with Gellert.

Over the next week, Albus went about making arrangements for Ariana to be taken care of in his absence. He sent so many owls to various wizarding care centres that Aberforth became very suspicious of his actions.

On the eve of their departure, Gellert visited Albus in his study to finalise their plans. Albus was still fretting over the matter of looking after his younger siblings, but Gellert reassured him that things would be all right, and Gellert could be so very persuasive when he wanted to be.

"For the greater good?" Gellert said, as he handed Albus a glass of mulled mead for a celebratory toast.

"For the greater good," Albus affirmed, as they clinked their glasses.

Aberforth burst into the room. "What's this 'greater good'? What have the both of you have been scheming over the past few weeks?" he demanded. Albus decided to talk to him there and then, knowing that he could no longer hold this off.

"Aberforth, listen to me. Now, Gellert and I have this plan..." he explained slowly, hoping that Aberforth would understand his intention and ambition.

"Rule the world?" Aberforth was both astonished and disgusted after Albus had finished. "Albus Dumbledore. I had thought better of you!" he fumed.

"How can we expect you to understand the significance of what we are trying to achieve, Aberforth?" Gellert spoke up. "No offence, Albus, but you know that your brother isn't exactly the brightest lad around."

"Gellert, I am sorry but I would prefer that you keep your opinions of my brother to yourself," Albus spun around to face Gellert.

"Is that so? Haven't you been saying all along that if it were not for your dimwitted siblings, you would have been able to explore your talents much earlier on in life?"

"Albus, is that what you truly think of me and Ariana?' Aberforth cried, reaching for his wand.

"No, Aberforth, I didn't mean it. I..." Albus was frantic.

"You see, Albus, your brother can't even defend himself effectively! _Crucio_!" Gellert shouted, as he cast an Unforgivable Curse on Aberforth preemptively.

"No! Gellert! Why did you do that?" Albus yelled in dismay, as he too, drew his wand. The three of them were so enraged and engaged exchanging blows that no one saw Ariana slipping into the room quietly. When they finally noticed her, it was all over; the irretrievable damage had been done.

"Ariana! No... you can't..." Albus sobbed, holding Ariana's lifeless body, as Aberforth wailed beside him. Gellert turned and fled from the scene, never to be seen again until much later.

xxxxx

Even so, a few months later, Albus received a package containing the Invisibility Cloak and a short note from Gellert.

 _"I have taken the responsibility for Ariana's_ _unfortunate_ _demise. It is most regretful that things turned out this way._ _A_ _lthough you may_ _never_ _forgive me, I still wanted to_ _you to have this cloak_ _, as promised during our schooldays. It will help you in_ _future. - Yours_ _forever_ _, Gel_ _l_ _ert Grindelwald."_


	3. A lively encounter

**Chapter 3: A lively encounter [1938, Summer – 1939, Autumn]**

 _"Dear Albus, thanks to your dragon blood remedy, the marks on my face have cleared. I am_ _now_ _able to face the Egyptian alchemists with more confidence – as you know, they are all about tans and good looks and that stu_ _ff_ _. They are much worse than the chimaeras who clambered after my face in Greece last_ _s_ _ummer. I'm looking forward to_ _seeing_ _you soon_ _again_ _after I return from Egypt. Take care and be sure to have your meals on time, won't you? - Love, Elphias."_

Albus smiled as he read the note from his best friend. The wizarding world had gone crazy over his dragon blood remedies which easily topped the list of all-time best-selling magical beauty products. Of course, the twelve uses of dragon blood were not all about beauty remedies; they had medicinal properties as well as more dangerous ones, but people tended to think less of those.

Albus had scarcely been able to pick himself up after the unfortunate incident with Gellert and his siblings. He spent the first year wandering around aimlessly, before he received a letter from Nicolas Flamel who implored him to visit him and his wife, Perenelle. He was able to make good use of his time in France, studying alchemy intensively with Nicolas and coming up with imaginative products. Nicolas had introduced him to advanced alchemy including transmuting metals into gold, creating a universal solvent and even coming up with the Panacea. With his newfound skills, Albus should have been a very accomplished young wizard – materially well-off with an abundance of health. But his heart was empty and his soul was lost. He never found himself again even after a three-year getaway in France. These days, he mostly wrote articles for academic journals and relied on the royalties of his inventions for a living.

xxxxx

"Blimey! This _Grindelwald_... he has risen an army and they have thrown Czechoslovakia into turmoil!" An elderly wizard exclaimed while reading _The_ _Daily Prophet_ and munching on his tea in the Leaky Cauldron.

"It's not only that. It seems Austria has fallen under his control as well," his tea companion chimed in.

"When will it be Britain's turn? If he brought his army here, who amongst us is strong enough to take him on?"

"Honestly, I think only Albus Dumbledore can do it. But he is nowhere to be found! Even when he publishes an article or launches a product, he never appears. I heard so directly from the editors of _Transfiguration Today_ and the _Witch Weekly_."

"Dear Merlin, is there no hope for us, then?' the elderly wizard sighed.

Little did the elderly wizard and his companion know, Albus Dumbledore was sitting right beside them in the corner eavesdropping on their conversation. These days, Albus was fond of sitting at cafes, bars and other crowded places under his Invisibility Cloak listening to conversations. He knew that Gellert had been up to something big and no good ever since he returned from France. But curious as he was, he did not have the courage to find out what was happening through official means because it seemed then that the information would be cast in stone. Even when he was reading the newspapers every day, his wand was programmed to automatically remove articles which contained the words 'Grindelwald' or 'dark'. He would rather listen to hearsay and distance himself from it.

That evening, Albus met his old professor, Armando Dippet, at a restaurant along Diagon Alley. Armando asked him to return to Hogwarts to teach as the school was in need of a Transfiguration Master. He mentioned that Albus' presence would help to boost the credibility of Hogwarts as darker times crept upon them. Albus was quite glad to accept, as the job would take his mind off whatever that was happening with Gellert these days.

xxxxx

Albus stared at the little first-year standing in front of his desk. She took quiet, furtive glances at him, keeping her head down most of the time. He sighed and rubbed the back of his head. He did not expect to have to deal with a troublemaker right on his first day as a professor at Hogwarts. Maybe he should have declined when Armando challenged him to take up the position of Gryffindor's Head of House concurrently.

Quite unsure of how to conduct this session, he tried for a stern approach to make the girl explain what she did. "So... tell me, Ms McGonagall, why did you do it?" he asked sharply.

The girl coughed and a piece of gum flew at him and stuck onto his nose. Flabbergasted, the girl squeaked " _Accio_ gum!" and the piece of gum left his nose. In its place, a bright yellow handkerchief appeared and attempted to wipe off the smudge. This all happened in a matter of seconds and Albus was quite unable to react.

The girl, now clearly embarrassed, shuffled her feet and looked at the floor. "I'm really sorry, Professor, please don't expel me," she mumbled, rubbing her hands in a pleading manner, expecting Albus to blow up at her.

"That's twice in a row you've fumbled now, Ms McGonagall," Albus laughed after a deafening silence, his manner softening. "But it was quite impressive, how you managed to use your spells so effectively. It's a Muggle gum, isn't it? I'm quite fond of Muggle sweets myself," Albus chatted on good-naturedly. He knew that the girl would be too frightened to speak if he continued with his sharp tone.

"It's a Wrigley's, Professor. Even though Drooble's Best Blowing Gum never loses its flavour, I prefer a Muggle version as it reminds me of the evanescence of things."

"Evanescence..." Albus mused. "That's a big word to use for someone of your age. Have you been through anything which warrants your use of it?"

"My father died last Autumn, Professor," the girl replied softly, her head bowed low.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Albus said quite earnestly. He felt very sorry for the girl indeed, having experienced the loss of family himself.

"It's quite all right. He had been sick for a long while and we all knew it was going to happen some time."

"But we must return to the reason why you're here tonight, and not enjoying the Start-of-Term Feast with your fellow first-years at the Great Hall," Albus said, after a while. "Why did you hex Mr Crabbe and Mr Goyle on the Hogwarts Express on your way to school?"

"Professor, they were laughing at Merope. They said that her hair was lank and dull, and her face was plain. They even said that she was cross-eyed," the girl replied this time round, sounding more composed.

"That wasn't nice of them," Albus agreed. "But that did not mean that you could take matters into your own hands. You could have informed one of the prefects, for instance."

"I... I didn't think things through, Professor," the girl admitted. "I was just so angry."

"While your feelings were acceptable, your actions were not. That's ten points from Gryffindor, and I'm afraid you will not be allowed to join in the festivities at the Great Hall for the rest of the night."

The girl nodded sombrely as she retreated to exit the room.

"Regardless," Albus called after her, "I'm glad that the Sorting Hat saw fit to put you in Gryffindor after your Hatstall just now, Minerva." For the first time in the office that night, the girl lifted her head up and flashed him a warm smile.

xxxxx

"Minerva, are you sure it's all right to hang out with that Gaunt girl so much? She's not even from our House!" Augusta hissed as they hurried along the corridor to their next class. The second-year Gryffindors had combined Charms with the second-year Slytherins.

"Well, we hang out with Pomona a lot too and she's not from our House either," Minerva shrugged as she walked along briskly, not wanting to be late for class.

"But Pomona's a Hufflepuff!" Augusta protested. Minerva raised an eyebrow.

"That Gaunt girl's a Slytherin, Minerva! They are a cunning bunch! My father told me if there's anyone from our country who's joining Grindelwald's cause, they must be from Slytherin!"

"Trust me, Augusta, I know what the Slytherins are like. They have been using all sorts of means to snatch the Quidditch pitch from us even though we always book it way earlier." Minerva had been made a Chaser on the Gryffindor team towards the end of her first year, and had been training very hard since, not missing a single training session.

"But you can't claim that all Slytherins are bad. Merope, for instance, is a very sweet girl. She's had a difficult time with her family and she's often lonely, and I should be there for her," Minerva said firmly as they turned into the Charms classroom.

"You should be here for me too! You know I despise Charms and I need to pick on your brains!" Augusta tried to pull Minerva along with her, but Merope was already waving at Minerva and she jogged off to join her, leaving Augusta to sit with Emmeline Vance, Caradoc Dearborn and Neville Longbottom Sr. The five of them were the only Gryffindor second-years left attending school that year as many parents preferred to have their children close by due to the war started by Grindelwald. Even the number of Slytherin students had dwindled, although Minerva could not be sure whether it was due to the more common reason, or if it was, as Augusta had said, that more families assosciated with Slytherin were moving out of Britain to join Grindelwald in his cause.


	4. Qualities of a cat

**Chapter 4: Qualities of a cat [1940, Summer]**

Minerva could not believe what was written on the letter that came with the school owl. It said that her whole family; mother, two younger brothers, uncle, aunt and a baby cousin, had been murdered in their home by Grindelwald's followers. Her knuckles had turned white from clenching the letter and she bit her lip, forcing herself not to scream. It was dinner time in the Great Hall and she refused to let her tears fall in front of everyone.

Noticing that something was wrong, Merope Gaunt scuttled over to the seat next to her. "What's wrong, Minerva?" Merope asked softly, touching her arm. Not trusting herself to speak, Minerva passed the letter to Merope. Merope gasped as she scanned the contents. She began pulling Minerva into a hug, but Minerva held her off.

The Gryffindor second-years were beginning to notice that something was wrong. "What's the matter, Minerva?" Augusta asked. "Has Gaunt been feeding you with some nasty bits of information about her family again?" Merope did not protest and merely handed the letter over to her.

"Merlin's whiskers!" Augusta cried, refusing to believe what she read as well. Not knowing where to unleash her indignance over the whole matter, she turned to Merope.

"You!" she snarled, shaking Merope by her shoulders. "You always pretend to be Minerva's friend, caring about her and so forth. But look at what your kind has done to her! Didn't your father and brother go off to join Grindelwald's cause? It was announced in the newspapers that a Marvolo Gaunt and a Morfin Gaunt had gone off to join him!" Augusta was relentless in her pursuit of helping Minerva find justice by way of persecuting Merope.

"That's quite enough, Augusta," Minerva's voice shook and she was trembling as she pulled them apart. "It's not Merope's fault. She never wished for this and she never believed in Grindelwald's cause..." she started to falter, tears brimming in her eyes and threatening to fall. As much as she tried to control herself, she was but thirteen years old and facing a tragedy which struck right out of the blue. This was way too different from the time when she had lost her father. Then, at least, she had time to mentally prepare herself as her father had been ill for a long time. And this time round, she had lost her _whole_ _family_!

"Minerva, could you take that letter and follow me, please?" Professor Dumbledore had come in front of them. Numbly, Minerva rose and allowed herself to be led by her professor out of the Great Hall.

xxxxx

Minerva did not know how long she walked. It may have been five seconds or forever. Albus held her hand and led her through the long corridors of the castle until they reached his office.

Normally, Minerva would have loved to be in Professor Dumbledore's office. He always had the latest copies of _Transfiguration Today_ and the most interesting wizarding gadgets; such as deluminators of all sizes, sneakoscopes of all sizes, a Pensieve and a thin, light cloak which was always shimmering and very pretty. Furthermore, he always had the most amazing supply of Muggle sweets which he would offer to anyone who came by to see him. However, right now, she would have much preferred to be flying at the Quidditch pitch, letting off some steam, or to be curling up and bawling her eyes out in the Astronomy Tower. She hated to be weak and to be seen being weak by anyone, much less her favourite professor.

"Minerva, I don't know what else to say other than the fact that I'm so, so sorry for your loss," Albus comforted her gently as he settled her into a couch. He did not want his protege to be alone in her moment of despair because he knew that her strong-willed nature would not allow her to turn to anyone for help.

"You may seek refuge in this room whenever you want and I will provide you with everything you need. A mug of hot chocolate perhaps, yes, some ginger newts and sherbet lemons..." Albus got up and busied himself with making hot chocolate.

When he returned with a mug of steaming chocolate, he saw that Minerva had smashed the coffee table and broken down into a bout of fitful crying. She wept throughout the night without a single word, until she fell asleep on his couch and he had to carry her back to her dormitory.

xxxxx

"Professor, I am very sorry for my behaviour that night. I have transfigured some old magazines into a small coffee table. I think it will... I hope it will hold up well," Minerva said in a small voice, ashamed of her behaviour. She had been elusive the past week, keeping largely to herself and ignoring even her best friends, Merope and Augusta. She only visited Albus because she felt that she could not continue putting off the matter of the broken coffee table.

"Don't worry about it, Minerva. I'm glad that you have come to see me. Are you on talking terms with your friends again?"

"Yes, I have spoken to Augusta."

"And Ms Gaunt?" Albus asked amicably.

"I..." Minerva faltered. This was the matter which was troubling her the most. She knew that Merope had absolutely nothing to do with what befell her family, but she could not help but feel resentful towards the Gaunts and Slytherins in general. She had gallantly tried to stop Augusta from being prejudiced against Merope. But she knew deep down that a seed of resentment had been planted, and she had to try very hard to pluck it out before it sprouted. The matter of the fact was that most of the wizards and witches from Britain who saw fit to join Grindelwald's cause were indeed associated with Slytherin, and it may very well have been a group of them who had massacred her family. She drew a deep breath as she tried to string her words together.

"I know it was very wrong of me to be prejudiced, Professor. In hindsight, I should have approached the matter more rationally," she admitted softly.

"I understand, Minerva. It's heartening to know how mature you are. It is in these dark times, more than ever, that we need to stand united. Only then do we have a fighting chance," Albus said, hoping that his words would remain with his protege as she struggled through her grief and resentment. But he was sure that she would come out of it eventually, for she was such a fine young lady, one with the mettle to stand up against the dark side.

"Minerva, have you ever thought of becoming an Animagus?" Albus asked, after a moment. He thought that it would be good if she could have a project to focus on instead of spending her time brooding on her tragedy. With her interest and talent in transfiguration, he was certain that she would find it a very enjoyable project.

"An Animagus?" Minerva asked, in awe.

"Yes, I am almost certain that your form would be a cat. Strong, nimble, never giving up and hence its nine lives. Let's have a bet! Butterbeer on you if you turn out to be a cat, butterbeer on me if you turn out to be something else!" Albus said cheerfully, his eyes twinkling.

It was the first time Minerva smiled that week.


	5. Her professor's dark past

**Chapter 5: Her professor's dark past [1943, Spring]**

In the future, if anyone were to ask Minerva to describe her schooldays in one word, it could only be 'dark'. All her time in school, World War Two, and by natural extension Grindelwald's war upon both the magical and non-magical communities, was raging across Europe and threatening to break into Britain. She had personally suffered when her whole family was killed at the end of her second year. But things did not get better.

Throughout her third and fourth year, Minerva's peers dropped out of school continuously like a line of collapsing dominoes. Hogwarts was constantly under the threat of closure due to the low turnout of students and persistent questioning by parents and the public on whether it was safe enough to have the students remain at school. The presence of Albus Dumbledore at Hogwarts was the only thing that helped to keep all their minds reassured. But Minerva knew that it was a matter of time before the Ministry of Magic swooped down and forced all of them to go home, for the primary responsibility of their safety would be left with their parents and guardians then, and not the official institutions.

The only things which kept Minerva's spirits up were her friends, lessons with Dumbledore and Quidditch. She was relieved when she managed to convince Caradoc Dearborn to join the Gryffindor Qudditch team last year despite his fear of heights (it was ironic that he was a pretty good flier). Otherwise, they might have had to disband due to the lack of players.

xxxxx

Minerva, now in the second-half of her fifth year and a prefect, was winding down in the Prefects' Bathroom and reading _The_ _Daily Prophet_. Her eyes narrowed when all she saw were headlines and articles about the latest places which Grindelwald had conquered, and calls for Albus Dumbledore to join the counter-war efforts. It seemed that everyone preferred to rally around some important figure and make him do all the work rather than dirty their own hands.

Minerva was growing increasingly concerned about the pressure her professor was facing. Even her peers had started taking the liberty of asking Professor Dumbledore in class why he would not fight against Grindelwald. Every time, he would shake his head gently and proclaim that he would never be able to defeat the most powerful dark wizard of their time. But she knew that it was not true. Every time he showed his students how a spell was to be cast, Albus Dumbledore blazed and radiated sheer power. If such palpable strength was insufficient to bring Grindelwald down, then their world was doomed.

Minerva sighed and closed her eyes. As much as she wanted to be on her professor's side, she had to admit that there was logic to the pressure that he was facing. Like everyone else, she too believed that Albus Dumbledore was their only fighting chance against this nightmare. She decided that it was time to talk to her professor about it.

xxxxx

"Minerva, what brings you here tonight?" Albus greeted her brightly.

She shifted in her seat, quite unsure where to begin. But her professor was looking at her expectantly.

"Professor, I was wondering... if you had ever known Grindelwald personally," Minerva made a brave attempt to broach the topic.

Albus was taken aback. Now, this was unusual. He had entertained questions on why he would not fight Grindelwald countless times, but never once about whether he had known Grindelwald personally or not.

"And why would you ask that, Ms McGonagall?" he stiffened visibly. Coldness crept into his voice as his tone became guarded.

Minerva knew that she had struck a chord. Professor Dumbledore only referred to students by their surname if he did not know them well or if he was displeased with them for whatsoever reason. He never addressed her as 'Ms McGonagall' ever since her first encounter with him on her first day in school.

"I was just wondering... if you had known him, perhaps that's why you can't bring yourself to fight against him. If he was your friend, you wouldn't be able to make such a decision easily. I know I wouldn't, if I had to fight with Augusta or Merope for some reason, however righteous it may seem," she advanced.

By now, Albus had completely become a mimosa that had just been touched. He found that he could not continue with the conversation and looked away from his best student. And yet, he knew deep down, that this was an extremely rare chance for him to break out of his shell and confide in somebody his most unique and regretful circumstances.

Albus realised after all that happened, that he did not truly have someone to turn to for his troubled heart. His last two family members had left him – one through mortal peril and the other through eternal unforgiveness. He could not possibly turn to his esteemed friends such as Nicolas Flamel, Madam Griselda Marchbanks or Headmaster Dippet for consolation as it would most definitely ruin their image of him as a person. He thought that he might have confided in Elphias, but since the matter was complicated by his sexual orientation and their society was a conservative one still, even his dear old friend might not have taken too kindly to him. But Minerva was different. She was mature and sensitive, and Albus was quite certain that his protege would not judge nor think any less of him were he to take courage and confide in her.

When what seemed like an eternity had passed between them and Minerva showed no signs of leaving, he rose from his seat and beckoned her towards his Pensieve. It was time to behave like a true Gryffindor.

A long while later when they emerged from the Pensieve, Albus found both himself and Minerva in tears. Minerva grasped his hands tightly to show support as she did not quite trust her voice yet. She knew now why her professor would not face Grindelwald and this gave her confidence.

Minerva sat quietly with her professor for the rest of the night, wanting to be by his side during his darkest moments as he had been for her. They did not speak much, but she promised to visit him again the next day to discuss what was to be done. Both of them knew then, that an extraordinary friendship had been formed.


	6. Dumbledores' Army

**Chapter 6: Dumbledores' Army [1943, Spring – 1945, Summer]**

Minerva returned to Albus' office the very next day to discuss their plans. Both of them were much calmer that evening, and whilst there was some residual awkwardness, the atmosphere was mostly comfortable.

Albus knew that he should take the lead in the discussion, but he did not really know where to start from. Luckily, Minerva was perceptive and took charge right away.

"Professor, contrary to what many feel; that you should jump in and face him right away, I think that we should take this slow. We currently have no idea how much more powerful he has become, where his base is and how many followers he always has by his side. If we could find out about his plans as well, we may, with luck, be able to thwart a few of them."

"Accomplishing any one of what you've just mentioned is already a tall order, Minerva. How are we going to do all of it, with only the two of us? Are you perhaps thinking of gazing into the crystal ball and consulting our Divination Mistress?"

"Oh no, sir! You know I would never!" Minerva protested in alarm.

"Yes, of course. Our sentiments are as one on this subject. I was just kidding," Albus laughed and the mood lightened up at once.

Minerva allowed herself a smile before she continued. "We'll need time and help, as much of it as possible. With time, I daresay we'd be able to find out more about his powers and where his base is, even if it's just the two of us. But we would definitely need help if we were to attempt to foil his plans."

"We may not have the luxury of time. Even as we speak, many are falling across the continent. I... I really should have looked into this earlier," Albus was full of remorse.

"It's not too late, Professor. I'm sure there's much that we can still do. If you agree, I'll approach those who will be able to help us in our cause, and get started on the work quickly," Minerva comforted her professor gently.

xxxxx

"Mr Aberforth Dumbledore?" Minerva called softly as she approached a young wizard at the Hog's Head Inn in Hogsmeade.

"Ms McGonagall," Aberforth grunted in affirmation.

"I'm so happy that you replied to my letter and agreed to see me," Minerva gave him a bright smile and shook his hand warmly before taking a seat. Aberforth fidgeted in his seat, his eyes downcast. Clearly, he was not used to socialising much.

Minerva had decided that the first person they needed to inform was her professor's brother, Aberforth, as he had as much of a stake in defeating Grindelwald as them. Albus had warned that he may not entertain her, seeing that he very much preferred to spend time fraternising with goats these days. But she decided to go ahead and try anyway. She wrote him a heartfelt letter, and was heartened to receive his reply.

"Just let me be clear before we start. I'm here because I want to... beat the gargoyles out of that fiend. For Ariana. It doesn't mean that I have... forgiven him."

"I understand," Minerva patted his hand. "Let's just focus on bringing Grindelwald down. That's our common goal," she said.

Aberforth was clearly more at ease after that, and Minerva found him exceedingly easy to communicate with once they got past the initial barrier. After going through the details, she lowered her voice to a whisper, "I was hoping that you could take over this tavern and turn it into a secure place where we can hold our meetings. I understand that the owner no longer wishes to carry on his business here due to..." she cleared her throat slightly, "the presence of a rogue poltergeist... and of course, his financial issues. It's near enough to Hogwarts so we can connect the two places with a secret passageway."

"Well, I have no objections to that, as long as there is a place for my goats too," Aberforth shrugged amiably. His eyes twinkled knowingly when Minerva choked on the part of a 'rogue poltergeist'.

"I made sure of it," Minerva nodded earnestly. "There is a green pasture just beyond the vegetable patch behind. Your esteemed friends will find themselves comfortable there."

Aberforth stared at her for a long time, but she seemed sincere enough and had no intention to make fun of his goats. Satisfied, he nodded and sighed, "Ariana was the happiest around goats. They are such docile creatures – she believed that they were the only creatures who wouldn't harm her. We spent so much time around goats because our brother didn't have time for us. He was too busy courting that fiend," he scowled darkly. Minerva nodded understandingly.

"Well then, I suppose the Dumbledores' Army has been formed. I expect to see you very often in the coming months," he extended his hand first this time round, and Minerva grinned as she gave it a firm shake.

xxxxx

"Minerva, are you not attending Transfiguration again? N.E.W.T.s are in two weeks' time! How do you expect to pass if you keep skipping classes like that?" Augusta lectured.

"Oh, leave it, Augusta," Neville Sr sighed. "She'd probably score more marks than all of us combined in that subject!"

"But I don't understand why Dumbledore's making her run around so much just before the exams! Does he not care about whether she passes or fails?" Augusta argued angrily. The seventh-year Gryffindors knew that Minerva had been helping their Head of House with some additional responsibilities in the last couple of years, but they did not know the details. At first, they attributed it to prefect duties. But Neville Sr was never called up as often and so, gradually, they began to sense that it was something else.

"Oh, come on, everyone knows about them. How could he not care?" Caradoc Dearborn snorted.

"I wish you wouldn't insinuate, Caradoc. Professor Dumbledore's much older than us. I'm sure they know their boundaries," Emmeline Vance, the gentlest and the most composed of them, said.

"I beg to disagree," it was Augusta who defended Dumbledore this time, despite her earlier anger at him. "He's _not_ much older than us. He was only a lad when we started school. I don't mind if Minerva goes out with him, but he really should show more concern and stop making her run around like a house-elf! He didn't even visit her when she was recovering from that nasty fall!" Minerva fell off her broom during the last Quidditch match against Slytherin and had to stay in the Infirmary for a few days to recover from several broken ribs and a concussion.

Minerva rolled her eyes. She was used to her friends discussing about her affairs right in front of her as if she were invisible. She knew that they meant no harm and her behaviour had not exactly helped to protect herself from wild speculation. She never explained herself as her duties had to be carried out in absolute secrecy.

At first, Minerva used a time-turner to juggle in between her classes and running around for Dumbledores' Army. Elphias Doge had lent her his time-turner which he brought home from Egypt. Unfortunately, his time-turner was registered with the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and in Minerva's seventh year, the Ministry clamped down on the usage of magical objects for fear that people were using them for the wrong means. As such, she had to surrender the time-turner and actually skip classes for her missions.

Professor Dumbledore was initially concerned about her studies. But she had proven herself so capable that he did not eventually oppose to it. Even though they spoke of a 'Dumbledores' Army' to counter 'Grindelwald's Army', the fact of the matter was that one could count off the number of their combatants with a single hand. Other than Aberforth and Elphias, the only other person whom she approached for help was Bathilda Bagshot as they did not wish for Albus' and Gellert's shared history to be widely circulated.

Minerva came up with some feeble excuse and shot off before Augusta could fire more questions at her. In the past months, she had found her Animagus abilities to be very useful for stealth work. Her main duty was reconnaissance and she had snuck into many places that provided important information, such as the Ministry of Magic and Azkaban. Her Animagus form and the fact that she was an unknown witch, unlike the other four, made her the best candidate for the job.

When she brought information back, they would formulate a plan together and attempt to thwart Grindelwald's efforts as best as they could. If the Ministry's Aurors were already on the case, they would lie low and provide support only when necessary, without the Aurors' knowledge. Recently, she managed to locate Grindelwald's headquarters at Nurmengard and was working on mapping out the place so that Albus could avoid having to battle Grindelwald's followers as much as possible when he approached him for their face off.


	7. Grindelwald

**Chapter** **7:** **Grindelwald** **[** **1945,** **Summer** **]**

Minerva was back at Nurmengard for the third time. She knew that the danger compounded every time she returned, but she could not help it. She had to make sure that the route marked out for her professor was the safest one. She had been to the dungeons which served as Grindelwald's personal prison for his most hated enemies, and when she saw how the prisoners were treated there – whipped, abused and starved, she knew that she could not afford to risk any bit of her professor's safety.

She scampered along the corridors as a cat and was thankful for her eyes as they allowed her to see much better in the dark. She stopped when she saw a few smashed lamps in a corner. They were not here the last time she came. Did someone get into a scuffle here? If so, it meant that people actually walked through here and she had better find another route.

As she inched forward to take a closer look, she heard a 'swoosh!' and something came falling from the ceiling. Before she knew it, she was trapped in a bag! She squealed and thrashed, refusing to use any spell, hoping that her captor would believe that she was just a cat and nothing more. The bag must have been enchanted by a sound barrier charm for she could hear nothing when she was inside. She felt herself being lifted and transported to another place.

When they let her out of the bag, she nearly suffered a heart attack for the one who greeted her was none other than the legendary dark wizard, Grindelwald himself. She recognised him as the older version of the person whom she saw in her professor's Pensieve. He sat lazily on a throne in front of her with a wicked smile playing on his lips.

She squealed and thrashed even harder, but could not get out of her predicament. It seemed that she was held down by invisible cords which cut into her flesh the more she thrashed around. Knowing that her injuries would only become more serious and her efforts would be to nought, she finally decided to stop. She lay still and whimpered.

"Finally came to your senses, eh?" Grindelwald drawled. "Now, let's see who this little kitten really is."

Three of his followers drew their wands and shot spells which manifested as bright blue lights at her. Minerva screamed in pain as she was forced to show her true form. When she became herself again, she was forced to kneel in front of Grindelwald. She glared at him and he looked at her with interest.

"I knew something was amiss when it was reported that a cat had been slinking along the corridors. But I was not expecting such a beautiful young lady. Tell me, who sent you?"

She refused to speak, choosing to observe him silently. And to her surprise, she could actually see why her professor had fallen for him. Anyone would have fallen for him, had they not known how truly evil and twisted his ambitions were. He exuded charisma and was exceedingly good-looking. He had a powerful aura - the type which people generally looked for in a leader, and in this respect, he was very similar to her professor.

"Well, even if you choose to say nothing, I can guess. How's my dear old friend, Albus? I do hear things now and then, you know, even if I seem aloof. He's teaching at Hogwarts, so you could either be his colleague or his student," Grindelwald gave her a winsome smile.

Minerva remained silent.

"If Albus saw fit to send you here, then you must be close. Did he not share with you his – _our_ ambition?" Grindelwald paused for a moment and closed his eyes, seemingly reminiscing the good times. When he opened his eyes again, they were unusually bright. At first, Minerva thought that he had teared from his sentiments. But she quickly realised, to her horror, that they harboured a mad glint.

"Did we want this for ourselves?" He sounded completely self-sacrificial. "It was always meant to be for the greater good, my dear. _For the greater good_. The weak and the ignorant don't always know what's best for themselves. They need to be guided by the wise and the benevolent. Just stop and think! A world ruled by Albus and I! You know how kind and gentle he is, don't you? Won't it be marvellous? We'll be great, revered by all!"

He bent down to lift her chin, and he looked straight into her eyes, attempting to convince her of his sincerity.

"And you can help us, my dear. I can tell that you are a talented witch. Won't you consider?" he asked invitingly, seductively.

As Grindelwald spoke, Minerva felt as if she was falling into a trance. His voice was so soothing and his words... his words... but no! She snapped out of her trance and shot daggers at him with her eyes. She was appalled. After all the atrocities he had carried out, how dared he spew such balderdash?

"You are deluded," she concluded. "Professor Dumbledore was under your influence."

"Oh, was he?" Grindelwald seemed thrilled that she finally spoke. "Did he not tell you how excited he was when we were _conspiring_ together? He told me that it was the best time of his life!" Grindelwald beamed, as if it brought back wonderful memories.

"Your deep affection for Albus Dumbledore blinds you, young lady. Why don't you go back and tell him to come? Tell him that I will be waiting for him right here, tomorrow night. You'll see how he's unable to resist being with me, and we will live out our dreams together. Now, go!" With a last demented grin, Grindelwald waved his wand and dropped a portkey in front of her. Not daring to stay any longer, Minerva grabbed it, and was instantly transported away.

xxxxx

"Professor!" Minerva cried as she burst into Albus' office. Albus was shocked to see her in such a dishevelled state. She had suffered multiple cuts and bruises from being manhandled at Nurmengard. He rose to his feet and went to her quickly to give her some first-aid. She could scarcely catch her breath as the words describing her close encounter with Grindelwald came tumbling out. She was praying very hard that speaking about him would not negatively affect her professor's emotions in any way.

Albus was surprisingly calm about the situation. He did not turn squeamish when Minerva spoke about her encounter with Gellert, even though he thought that he would. Till then, he remained very uncomfortable whenever anything about Gellert was raised during their discussions.

Perhaps, the sorry sight of Minerva had reminded him of Gellert's true nature and what he had done to his siblings. For the first time after Minerva had confronted him about his past, Albus felt ashamed of himself. He should have gone directly to deal with Gellert, and yet, he allowed his student to do most of the dirty work for him, preferring to remain comfortably hidden in his closet of self-pity, nursing his still-broken heart. Even if Minerva did not mind the work, given her personal vengeance against Grindelwald, he, as the powerful teacher, should have pulled himself together much earlier on to put an end to this catastrophe.

Albus knew he could stay wishy-washy no longer. It was high time for him to face the ghost of his past and this time, he was prepared to do so.


	8. The greatest duel of all time

**Chapter 8: The greatest duel of all time [1945, Summer]**

"Albus, my dear old friend! It's so good to see you again!" Gellert's voice rang out heartily as Albus stepped into the throne room at Nurmengard. It was a grand place, albeit cold and gloomy.

Albus had thought from time to time about how he would meet Gellert again – where they would meet, what they would do when they met. While the scene in front of him was not exactly unexpected as he had heard about how Gellert had become so very imperialistic in his ways, he would have preferred it if they could have met again at the hilltop overlooking Hogsmeade, sharing a few butterbeers.

Gellert left his throne and made as if to lurch forward and embrace him, but Albus stepped away swiftly.

"No need to exchange pleasantries, Grindelwald. You know very well why I'm here today."

"Ah, so you got the message from that ladycat, did you? Is she all right?" Grindelwald asked in mock concern. Albus would have been taken in by his manner if not for the fact that he noticed that his eyes had become unusually bright, and there was something sinister about them, as Minerva had told him.

"I'm not here to engage in small talk with you, nor to reminisce about the past. Now, if you are ready, draw your wand and let's put a closure to this foolishness which stemmed from then," Albus forced himself to steady his voice as he drew his wand. If only Gellert knew how much it pained him to do this.

"Now, no need to be so hasty, my dear..." but before Grindelwald could continue, Albus had already thrown a spell at him and it forced him to draw his wand to defend himself.

xxxxx

Afterwards, this duel would go down in history as the greatest duel of all time and one of Albus Dumbledore's most famous moments. But at that time, Albus did not feel that he did well at all. During the first hour of the battle, both of them exchanged blows in a half-hearted manner, neither truly with the intent to seriously harm the other. It was almost like an elegant sword dance each in his own way – Albus, the tragic prince who had been given the dreadful task of taking down his evil lover to save his kingdom; Gellert, the master who was toying with his once-obedient pet. However, as Albus injected more power into his spells, Gellert found it increasingly difficult to defend himself.

"Is this the true power of the great Albus Dumbledore? Or are you not coming at me seriously because, well, you know, you still hold a torch for me?" Grindelwald taunted. Albus had forced him into a corner and he was starting to become truly displeased.

Embarrassed and enraged, Albus started to take his fighting more seriously. He threw spells and hexes one after another, as if this battle was the only thing he trained for his whole life.

Unable to hold off an Albus who was finally tapping into his full potential, Grindelwald turned to dark magic. He used the Unforgivable Curses and other dark spells rapidly to reclaim lost ground. But he did not know that Albus was an equal master of dark magic. Albus fought dark spell with dark spell and transfigured nearby objects to block off his attacks as and when he needed to. Gradually, Grindelwald found himself at the losing end as Albus' strength overpowered him.

They had duelled for nearly three hours, when Grindelwald finally collapsed on the floor, immobilised by Albus' stunner.

"You will cease all your atrocities and stay in Nurmengard for all your life!" Albus Dumbledore roared, as he shot a binding spell at Grindelwald. At that moment, Albus was engulfed in a white light of pure power and everything about him spewed danger. No longer the kind and gentle man he had known, Grindelwald finally realised why everyone said that Albus Dumbledore was the most powerful wizard alive, and the only one who could defeat him. He blacked out.

xxxxx

When Gellert came to, he found himself bound and chained in a dark and ominous room in the highest tower of Nurmengard. He looked around for someone to rescue him from his custody, but there was only Albus. Albus was sitting beside him twirling his wand aimlessly, and it did not look like he would be helping him out of his chains since he was most probably the one who had bound him there in the first place.

"You went easy on me, huh? You could have killed me," Gellert croaked.

"I do not wish to endeavour on killings," Albus said softly. His powerful avatar had faded and he had returned to the kind and gentle man whom he always was. "The magical allied forces have rounded up your followers. I don't expect you'll ever see them again. But I shall plead for leniency in cases where I can, since all this could have very well stemmed from my own idiocy," Albus was full of regret.

"What will you do now? Become the Minister for Magic? They will ask for you, I'm sure. You can continue what we have always dreamed of, in your own way," Gellert pressed.

"We were so wrong, can't you see it even now?" Albus was miserable as he attempted to reason with his old friend. He knew that his efforts would be futile. "Who are we to think that we are better than others, that we can control their lives? I am ashamed of myself, of the fact that I had even thought about it. There was no excuse."

Gellert merely gave him a cold, hard stare.

"And... Gellert," Albus said after a pause. How many times had he dreamt of calling his name again? It sounded so foreign on his tongue now, but yet, at the same time, it still had a hint of endearment. "I hope that you can take this time to reflect as well," Albus finished.

"So, is this goodbye?"

Albus retreated from him, not daring to look at his face. He was worried that he would begin to waver.

"All right, then, it seems that we will no longer have any cause to communicate. I wanted to give you something, Albus, as a parting gift. Beneath my throne, you will find the Resurrection Stone. I know you never wanted it, but it will be useful to you. Goodbye Albus, and good luck, my friend."

Albus' heart nearly broke as he stumbled out of the room.

xxxxx

Albus made his way back to the throne room in a hazy state of mind. He had no use of the Resurrection Stone for himself, but he could not deny that he was drawn to this legendary Deathly Hallow. Perhaps, it could bring back his lost family members and he would have another chance to make amends. And... most of all, it was Gellert's last gift to him.

He saw the red stone glittering beneath Gellert's throne and reached for it uncertainly. To his horror, a pain which he had never experienced before seared through his body. As he thrashed about wildly, desperate for help before he blacked out, he felt a hand reaching out for him and the familiar tug at his navel.


	9. The most powerful wizard in modern histo

**Chapter** **9:** **The** **m** **ost** **p** **owerful** **w** **izard in** **m** **odern** **h** **istory** **[1945, Summer]**

"He's awake!" Albus heard a voice exclaim shrilly as he came to. When he opened his eyes, he saw that he was back at Hogwarts, in the Infirmary. He was relieved. He felt like he had just had a nasty bout of flu and was sure that he would not be able to handle another round of fighting, had he found himself at a foreign place surrounded by enemies.

He saw that he was surrounded by Armando Dippet, the Matron Madam Abott, and his seventh-year Gryffindors, less one.

"Where's Minerva?" Albus asked weakly.

"She's ill, Professor, but she'll be all right. Merope is with her," Augusta reassured. She was frantically wiping away tears from her eyes, and the rest of his Gryffindors looked extremely solemn.

"How are you feeling, Professor?" Emmeline sobbed. "Come on, we agreed that we were going to be strong, didn't we?" Caradoc nudged Emmeline and muttered under his breath.

"But we thought that he wasn't going to make it!" Augusta wailed, and Neville Sr had to clamp his hand over her mouth. This was when Albus knew that he had just been salvaged from the brink of death.

"Now, that's quite enough, all of you. You were supposed to leave once your professor woke up! How's he supposed to rest under such weepy, noisy conditions? Do you want him to be able to attend your Graduation Ball or not?" Madam Abott lectured, as she shooed the group away.

Armando smiled. "You have some very loyal students here, Albus. They insisted on keeping vigil together at your bedside until you woke up."

"They are good people," Albus agreed as he coughed and tried to sit up. "How's..." he tried asking more questions, but was interrupted by Madam Abott who insisted that he needed rest. She forced a potion down his throat and put him back to sleep.

xxxxx

The next time he awoke, Albus felt like a new man. His mind was clear and he had regained his strength fully, as if he had just woken up from a good night's sleep.

"About time, Professor Dumbledore! Your were snoozing so happily and soundly that I was afraid you might never want to wake up again!"

This time round, he saw only Madam Abott bustling about in his ward. She cast a few diagnostic spells and pronounced him as good as new.

"You've made an exceptional recovery, Professor Dumbledore," she chatted on cheerfully. "Wizards who have been cursed by severe necrosis often don't live long enough to see another day."

Severe necrosis? Albus was startled. That was a terrible curse – one of the worst, in fact. It started to dawn on him that Gellert had meant serious business with his little ploy. He had wished to take his life.

"How long have I slept?" Albus asked, trying to shake off the dreadful thought that Gellert had wished him dead, through conversation.

"You were unconscious for three days when you first came back from the battle, and then another three days, the latter being a design of mine for your complete recovery," Madam Abott informed him proudly.

Albus expressed heartfelt gratitude for Madam Abott's help and she blushed prettily. But after a while, she looked sheepish, as if she had something to confess.

"Well... I suppose you would understand the matter of severe necrosis well, being who you are," she started awkwardly. "I wouldn't have been able to bring you around so quickly if not for... some other help." Albus inclined his head to indicate that he was listening.

"It was your student," Madam Abott sighed, slightly embarrassed. "I could never dream of claiming full credit if you'd just seen what she did. She brought you here when you were severely battered up and before I could even draw my wand, she had already gotten down to healing you by doing things which I couldn't even recognise."

"Well, Minerva has always excelled in Ancient Runes and it's not surprising that she would have learnt a healing spell or two from ancient magic," Albus professed with pride. There was no need to confirm with the Matron who this amazing student of his was.

"Yes, she's very good," Madam Abott admitted. "But she was taken ill after that, the poor dear."

"Taken ill?"

"Yes, she was in the Infirmary until this morning. But she's left to get ready for the Graduation Ball. You had better hurry up too, if you wish to attend your students' graduation!" Madam Abott helped him up and shooed him away.

Albus pulled his thoughts together and hurried off. By way of Madam Abott's description, he knew that Minerva had used an ancient reparation spell on him, one that contained a strong sacrificial element. For the spell to work perfectly, as it did for him, the castor needed to have a very deep connection with, or very deep feelings for the beneficiary, and the castor would have to take all the damage the beneficiary suffered. He had to go to her as soon as he could to make sure that she was all right.

xxxxx

"Professor! I'm so glad you made it!" Augusta squealed in delight as she rushed towards him and gave him a bear hug before he entered the Great Hall.

"It's good to see that you're all right, Professor," Neville Sr jogged over to keep up with her and shook hands with him earnestly.

"I see you are all dressed up," Albus smiled at them warmly, proud to see his very first batch of students graduate.

Caradoc and Emmeline hurried over after spotting them at the entrance of the Great Hall.

"Sir, the Headmaster wants us to pass you a message before you go in," Caradoc spoke quickly. "The newspapers have been running nothing but exclusive editions of how you defeated Grindelwald for the past week. There have been so many owls from everywhere that meals could not be held in the Great Hall. Everyone is worried about your condition."

Emmeline nodded and continued. "Reporters have been queuing up from Hogsmeade just to catch the first glimpse of you, Professor. Headmaster Dippet has been trying to keep them at bay, repeating the fact that you are recuperating. But somehow, it has leaked out that you are finally well and you will be attending the Graduation Ball tonight. And although the Headmaster has taken all the means he can to exclude outsiders for this event, he's concerned that some reporters may sneak in. The Graduation Ball is, after all, open to families of the graduating students, distinguished guests and alumni alike."

Albus sighed heavily. "I was hoping that I could avoid all this..." but his lions looked at him with grim expressions on their faces.

"All right, I understand, thank you for the information. Now, help me out on this, won't you?" he looked pleadingly at them.

And as Albus Dumbledore entered the Great Hall, flanked by his lions like a king of wild beasts, cheers and stamping erupted like never before in the history of Hogwarts. As soon as he appeared, no one remembered that the event was meant for the graduating students. The Graduation Ball had officially become Albus Dumbledore's victory celebration.

xxxxx

After spending an eternity dealing with reporters, concerned colleagues, parents and guests alike, Albus finally managed to slip away into a corner with the help of his Gryffindors.

"Have you seen Minerva?" he asked, finally able to pose the question he had wanted to ask ages earlier.

Augusta eyed him mischievously. "We were about to ask for your help, Professor. Neville and I, Caradoc and Emmeline, we paired up for the ball. But Minerva doesn't have a partner. We thought she wouldn't wake up in time."

Albus could see where this was going.

"Won't you be her partner?" Augusta asked, all too innocently.

"I will, gladly," he reassured. "But that's only if I can find her. I haven't seen her at all since I woke up!" His lions promised to help.

But Minerva was nowhere to be found. Dance after dance, as Albus spun and twirled with several partners on the dance floor (all the witches were giggling around him and asking for a dance), he kept a lookout for the visage of his protege. But his patience would not be rewarded.

Finally, as the song for the last dance was about to strike, Albus saw a familiar tabby slinking out of the Great Hall. He broke away from his dance partner and ran after her.

"Minerva! I've been trying so hard to look for you. Where have you been? Are you feeling all right?" Albus asked, as he reached for her.

She backed away and glared at him, her demeanour sullen. It was only after a while that she sighed and relented.

"I was thinking of ignoring you for the whole night, Professor, but I guess I couldn't make myself give up the chance of dancing with you," she gave a small, wry smile and allowed herself to be led back.

When Albus and Minerva entered the Great Hall together this time round, there was another round of applause. Minerva was introduced as the top student of the graduating class and the winner of the Most Promising Newcomer Award by _Transfiguration Today_.

xxxxx

But things did not go well that night. Later on, when they were back at Albus' office, Albus and Minerva had a row for the first time.

"You were so stupid, Professor! You should have sensed that it was cursed. Why did you still touch it?"

"I was foolish," Albus admitted. "But I thought... that it would give me a fighting chance to resurrect my family."

"But it was cursed! You could have died!"

"Well, I am still alive now, am I not?"

"Yes, but that's not the point! If he sent you an owl tomorrow containing information about the Resurrection Stone, or the Elderly Wand, or any other intriguing object for that matter, are you going to apparate straight to him? Do you still _trust_ him, after all that he has done?" Minerva demanded.

She had touched a raw nerve.

"Why are you behaving like a child, Minerva? It's such an irony indeed – that you should be more mature on your first day of school than your last!"

"A child, am I?" Minerva drew a deep breath as her whole body shook.

Both of them glared at each other, each refusing to back down.

"Goodnight, Professor. And thank you for all that you've taught me," she broke the standoff and left.


	10. A reunion

**Chapter 1** **0:** **A** **r** **eunion [1951, Summer]**

"Headmaster! Headmaster!"

Albus Dumbledore was happily blasting chamber music in his office, snapping his fingers to the rhythm and humming along with the tune.

"DUMBLEDORE!"

Albus jumped as he spun around to face his visitor, quickly putting the music away. He saw a red-faced Horace Slughorn glaring at him. Behind him stood Cuthbert Binns, the History professor and Herbert Beery, the Herbology professor.

"What can I do for you today, Horace?" Albus asked meekly, as he clasped his hands and waited for the usual tirade that would be set loose upon him. He soon found himself sticking his fingers into his ears when Horace went on and on about how he could not keep rostering all the other professors to take over his teaching and House duties when he was away being the Chief Warlock and the Supreme Mugwump. "For Merlin's sake!" he cried, "why would you even get non-Gryffindors to step in as Gryffindor's Head of House?"

"Are you... erm... going to make us do the same thing again this year?" Professor Beery asked uncertainly after Horace ended his tirade.

Albus frowned in contemplation. His colleagues were probably right.

The years after Grindelwald's defeat were uplifting ones which gave everyone much more time and energy to rebuild what they have lost and pursue what they wished to do. After his initial heartbreak over Gellert; when he had sorted his thoughts, Albus found himself liberated and his spirits re-energised by the positive vibes of the times and he went about his duties with vigour, even as more responsibilities were piled upon him.

Immediately after his feat, Albus was conferred the titles of 'Grand Sorcerer' and 'Order of Merlin, First Class'. This prestige meant that more in the wizarding society looked to him for advice on all sorts of things – from judging duelling competitions, commenting on the latest magical research, to even minute matters such as tasting magical sweets. In the second and third year, he was appointed Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot and Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards successively. He managed all his duties quite excellently, but the Ministry was relentless in their expectations of him and he was more and more heavily involved in official wizarding affairs. After Leonard Spencer-Moon stepped down as Minister for Magic, the calls for him to take over as Minister were so high that he had to hide in Egypt for three months. He returned only when public opinion died down and a new Minister had been elected.

When he became Headmaster after Armando Dippet had decided to retire, he did not stop teaching Transfiguration nor being the Head of House for Gryffindor, for there was no suitable candidate to take over these roles. In the last two years, his extra-curricular activities had demanded so much of his time that he often had to ask his colleagues to help out with his school duties. His colleagues were happy to help initially, but over time, there was a lot of accumulated grief and grievance.

"But there is just no applicant for the Transfiguration post. Should I conjure one up?" Albus asked, slightly indignant.

"How about this?" Horace shoved the latest copy of _Transfiguration Today_ under his nose. Minerva McGonagall's article had made the front cover again.

xxxxx

As Albus made his way to the Ministry of Magic's annual ball that night, Horace's suggestion was on playback mode in his mind. He was absolutely right; it was so obvious, and yet when Albus asked himself over and over again why he did not approach his very first protege for help sooner, no answer came to him.

"And here comes our most eligible bachelor of all time," Wilhemina Tuft, the Minister for Magic, teased as Albus approached her for greetings.

Albus chuckled in good humour. After his defeat of Grindelwald, he received so many owls every day from wizards and witches all over the world with daughters, enquiring about his marital status and qualities he was looking for in a partner. Mealtime conversation at the staff's dining table in the Great Hall could never be without the topic of his marriageability. Female colleagues and students alike never ceased to giggle around him from time to time.

"Perhaps he would deign to choose one from my own herd?" Justus Pilliwickle, the celebrated Head of Magical Law Enforcement came over to join them. "There are so many bright young witches in my department these days, you wouldn't believe it, Wilhemina. Two of them are here, as we speak."

Albus turned, and to his surprise, Minerva was standing right there. Beside her stood Elphinstone Urquat, a remarkable wizard from the noble house of Urquat. And next to them stood another young couple who had made a name for themselves early in their careers, Bartemius Crouch Sr and Amelia Bones.

"Minerva! It's... it's good to see you again," Albus grinned. He was very pleased indeed, but somehow, he could not express himself very well.

Six years had gone by since he last saw his protege. Despite her youth, he noticed that she seemed weathered and much older than before, her face prematurely lined.

"It's good to see you too, Professor," she replied with a quiet smile and extended her hand for a handshake.

"Albus," he said firmly, as he reached out. But instead of shaking her hand, he drew her closer to himself for a better look.

Elphinstone Urquat coughed. "Professor Dumbledore, Minerva is here as my partner tonight. Did you not bring along someone as well?"

"Oh... oh. No..." Albus stammered, just realising how awkward his actions must have been. Dismissing it as one of the many oddities which he had acquired over time, the other wizards and witches soon dispersed and went on their way.

xxxxx

When Albus saw an opportunity to speak to Minerva again later on, he went up to her quickly. He had not forgotten what Horace had suggested earlier on in the day, and this was the best opportunity for him to ask.

Minerva informed him that she had joined the Department of Magical Law Enforcement four years ago and was currently working under Elphinstone Urquat. Albus asked if she would consider a position at Hogwarts, and fortunately, she was quick to oblige.

"Professor Dumbledore! There you go again. Every time I take my eyes off Minerva, you are standing beside her!" Elphinstone Urquat protested as he returned to them, pulling away from a heated argument with Alastor Moody, the famous Auror.

Moody came along with him. "McGonagall, I was telling him again how you would excel as an Auror instead of working in Magical Law Enforcement. But he just won't listen!"

"Oh Merlin! Moody, will you stop it! Minerva will continue to work with me!"

Minerva cleared her throat. "Elphinstone, Alastor, I'm sorry, but I will be teaching at Hogwarts beginning this autumn. Professor Dumbledore has just offered me the position of the Transfiguration professor."

The two men were startled at her words. As if on cue, they turned together and glared at Albus accusingly. Albus shrunk behind Minerva.

"But why the sudden change of heart, Minerva? You were doing so well in the department!" Elphinstone said, his shoulders drooping.

Minerva merely smiled at him. "Albus was asking me for a dance too. You don't mind, do you?"

Leaving Elphinstone stumped in his position, Minerva took Albus' arm and they went to the dance floor together. As the song struck, she buried her face into his shoulder and danced that way throughout. At some point, Albus thought that his dress robes were soaked. But when the dance ended, his robes were as dry and crisp as ever. It must have been his imagination.

As many pairs of eyes trailed the dancing couple, Alastor smirked at Elphinstone.

"Somebody has met his match!"


	11. An apology

**Chapter 1** **1** **:** **An** **a** **pology** **[1952, Autumn]**

Minerva had been with Hogwarts for a year. Professionally, she was doing an amazing job. She juggled her teaching and Head of House duties expertly and impressed both colleagues and students alike. The Hogwarts' staff were so fed-up with Albus' hectic schedule that they threw a mini-celebration in her honour when she first came on board. But she never minded his schedule. She stepped in willingly for him as and when he needed help, even for Headmaster duties which nearly all the staff shunned, without as much as a sigh. But beyond work, Albus found that she had nothing to talk to him about.

Albus was disturbed because he did not know whether Minerva was doing well in other aspects of her life. If he went further and looked deeper into his heart, he knew that perhaps, what bothered him the most was not about her, but about himself. He could no longer read her like an open book as he used to be able to when she was his student. She remained pleasant, polite and friendly towards him, but much more reserved.

It seemed that they had switched roles. Albus used to be the one who was always brooding in his office while Minerva reached out to him. But now, he had boundless energy and was always coming up with new ideas about this and that while she withered away quietly, preferring to retreat to her office if no additional socialising was required. She did not seem to have enough will nor energy to participate in anything beyond work; a far cry from when she was training for Quidditch matches, to become an Animagus, or strategising for Dumbledores' Army in the past. A sudden thought struck him – that she resembled her old friend Merope Gaunt sometimes, these days.

It was the Halloween Feast that night and as usual, Minerva did not turn up. Albus decided that it was time for him to speak to her, before she closed up any further.

xxxxx

"Would you like some tea?" Minerva asked, as she laid a plate of ginger newts and sherbet lemons in front of him.

"That would be nice," he agreed.

As he watched her fetch the tea, something came over him and he suddenly blurted out what he wanted to know the most about her since she started working with him.

"Are you happy, Minerva?"

"I'm happy at Hogwarts. I enjoy teaching very much and the colleagues here are very nice. I am grateful for the opportunity which you have given me," Minerva smiled as she set the teapot down and sat on the couch opposite him. "Why do you ask?"

"Well... you seem... more distant than you were in the past," Albus said, looking down at his lap and shifting uneasily in his seat.

"Well," she shrugged, "I am no longer a child. I can't keep running to you for every single thing, big or small. Or do you still think of me as a child, Professor?" Minerva looked at him straight in the eye.

Albus averted his gaze and took a deep breath before turning to face her.

"I'm sorry, Minerva. I shouldn't have said what I'd said on the night of your graduation. I was not thinking clearly. The fact that you had questioned my rationality got to me. As you know, I'm not used to being judged," he gushed in one breath, finally getting out the words which had stuck with him ever since their angry parting.

Even though Albus prided himself on the fact that his head was not inflated like a balloon despite his many feats and achievements, there was still that matter of pride, and he was not used to admitting his faults. It was probably the main reason why he and Aberforth had not further reconciled after they had worked together against Grindelwald's Army.

They sat for a long while after, drinking their tea, neither speaking.

"Would you like a game of chess, Albus?" she finally broke the silence and gave him a smile. It was the warm and familiar one, the one which was 'specially kept for him', as Augusta used to tease. "Elphinstone sent me a nice set last week."

"I'd love to," Albus smiled as well, knowing that the worst between them was over. And as they chatted over the game throughout the night, they found that the words came back and they were comfortable around each other, just like the old times.


	12. The giants' rampage

**Chapter 12: The giants' rampage [1955, Spring – 1955, Winter]**

Ever since that first chess game, Albus and Minerva's friendship grew rapidly. No longer constrained by the subconscious parameters of how a teacher and a student, or a superior and a subordinate should behave, they worked together as partners; consulting each other as often as they needed and as and when they wanted to. They continued to visit each other frequently; be it to discuss serious matters, for a game of chess, or to simply chit-chat and pass time together. Albus would drop by Minerva's office as and when he felt like while she did the same.

Albus was flipping _T_ _he Daily Prophet_ to catch up on news one evening in Minerva's office.

"Blimey! The giants have started a rampage at the outskirts of Wales," Albus' voice rose in surprise, his nose still buried in the papers.

"Oh yes, I wanted to discuss this with you," Minerva said and looked up from her grading.

This event had caught the wizarding world by surprise. Even though border skirmishes between giants and the wizarding community were frequent, the death toll did not usually rise up to double digits in a single incident.

"I'm surprised that the Ministry has not activated you already," Minerva said, as she walked over to the couch and sat opposite him.

"Oh, don't worry, they won't leave me out. Look, here it comes," Albus said drily, as a Ministry owl swooped into the office and dropped a letter onto his lap.

He picked it up and scanned it quickly. The Ministry had requested that he accompany the squad from the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes to the front line as soon as he could the next day. It was imperative that he went along to see to matters as he enjoyed an excellent relationship with the leader of the giants and spoke their language like a native.

"Can I come along?" Minerva asked.

"I would be glad for your company," Albus beamed at her. She rarely showed interest in anything any more, and he thought it was wonderful that she finally found enough interest and energy to do something else other than her job.

xxxxx

At the outskirts of Wales, Minerva helped to heal the injured while Albus went off to negotiate with the leader of the giants. She was taking a break at a hill nearby when she heard sobs coming from behind a tree. She approached the sound with caution.

A young boy was crouching and crying as he held the body of a man. What surprised her was the fact that the boy as tall as her even in a crouching position, when he could not have been more than ten years old.

Minerva approached him slowly and touched his arm. "Why are you crying?" she asked in the gentlest voice she could manage.

The boy wept even harder, and it was only after several rounds of coaxing did he begin to speak in bits and pieces. His name was Rubeus Hagrid and he was the son of the man whose body he was clutching and a giantess, which explained his size. He said that the giants had killed his father when his father was trying to protect their neighbours. But afterwards, his neighbours had pointed their fingers at him and insisted that he had killed his father in a fit of frenzy, instead. He had to run and hide as they were trying to hunt him down to make him pay for his actions.

"Please believe me, I loved my dad. I would never have done this," he pleaded as tears fell by the buckets down his cheeks. Trying her best to console him, she advised that they should first find a proper burial spot for his father and a better hiding place for him. She would try her best to help him in any way she could.

When Albus returned, Minerva told him quickly about Hagrid's situation and brought him to his hideout. Unfortunately, Hagrid was nowhere to be found. They found out soon after that a half-giant boy had been taken to Azkaban under the suspicion of murdering his father and was awaiting trial.

"Azkaban?" Minerva snapped, her disgust apparent. "How can you put a _boy_ in _Azkaban_?"

"Well, Madam, it was the only way to appease the villagers. He has giant blood in him, after all," the Ministry official attempted an explanation, but his manner was sheepish.

Minerva looked as if she would lash out at the official again, but Albus put a hand on her shoulder.

"I've got this," he reassured, his expression cold as steel.

xxxxx

"Bring the accused, Rubeus Hagrid."

Albus could not believe that he had to deal with matters of such ridicule. This hearing was totally uncalled for, and the matter of putting a child in Azkaban, plain absurd.

Hagrid was trembling in fear as he was escorted to the accused's stand. Albus looked at the boy with pity. He knew that Minerva had slipped into Azkaban a few times in her Animagus form to reassure him that everything was going to be all right. But the sheer experience of being in Azkaban itself drained away any sort of hope one could have. Hagrid's face was a picture of doom – he already knew that he would be persecuted, regardless of the facts. It was a terrible thing for anyone to experience, much less a ten-year old.

Albus rarely exercised his influence or authority as the Chief Warlock, preferring to leave things to the natural course of justice. However, he knew that if he left things entirely to the Wizengamot this time, the outcome could be disastrous. The prejudice against those who were different from them ran deep in society and even the best of men could sometimes be consumed by it. Their world was often happy to just forget about the existence of those beyond their own kind.

And as Albus lectured the Wizengamot about the values of justice and humanity, injecting power into his every word, Minerva was reminded again why she had fallen in love with this man in the first place.

xxxxx

Albus and Minerva's arrival at the Ministry of Magic's Christmas ball was greeted with mixed reactions that year. Many were grateful to Albus for having managed to placate the giants and restore order in such a short amount of time. Calls for him to become the next Minister for Magic, after Wilhemina Tuft retired, returned.

Others, however, were less approving of the way he handled Hagrid's case. As Hagrid turned eleven that year, Albus welcomed him into Hogwarts and allowed him to stay on campus as he had nowhere else to go to. Some parents were afraid of their children being in the same school as Hagrid due to what he was, and it took Albus and Minerva a long time to reassure them that their arrangements were sound and there would be no problem with Hagrid studying alongside other students.

"Albus Dumbledore, once again our saviour and still our all-time most eligible bachelor," Wilhemina Tuft smiled, as she joined them at the table.

Albus and Wilhemina had their differences over the issue of the giants. As Minister for Magic, Wilhemina could not afford to ignore the public's concerns when Albus' approach towards the giants was deemed too soft. Then again, she was not the vehement type and did not wish to fight against the giants if she could, preferring to maintain peace and harmony. As such, her professional relationship with Albus remained largely unscathed as that episode drew to a close. In fact, she had invited both Albus and Minerva to her own private Christmas dinner that year, to express gratitude for their help.

"Are we really working you so hard that you have no time for romance, Dumbledore?" Wilhemina asked.

Everyone laughed, their interest obviously piqued at Albus' love life. And for an instant, Albus was put in a spot.

But Wilhemina was quick to advance on Minerva as well. "You too, Professor McGonagall," she tutted, "you laugh at your esteemed colleague here, but what about yourself? Has Dumbledore been working you too hard in school?"

"Oh, leave her alone, Minister. You know she has the new Head of Magical Law Enforcement waiting for her," someone piped up.

'Oohs' and 'ahhs' went around the table. "Is that so?" Wilhemina asked in delight. "When are we receiving the invitations?"

Minerva handled the issue expertly, acknowledging a close friendship with Elphinstone Urquat, but never committing to a formal relationship. In spite of this, Albus found himself hanging onto her every word. She never opened up to him about Elphinstone before even though he had asked her casually about him a couple of times.

"Speaking of which, Dumbledore," Wilhemina turned to him again. "The Magical Congress of the United States has written to me to ask for support in sending Minerva over to Ilvermorny to teach for a year or two. They follow her articles in _Transfiguration Today_ religiously, and hope that she will help teach both their teachers and students the art. Surely, you must have received something from the school already. What are your thoughts?"

Minerva's eyebrows rose as she looked at Albus. If there had been such a thing, he should have talked to her about it. But she was unaware.

Caught red-handed, Albus coughed and muttered something about a discussion and getting back to Wilhemina.

Afterwards, when Minerva confronted him about it, he gave a lame reason about it slipping his mind. She did not look convinced, but allowed it to drop, thankfully.

"So... will you go, Minerva?" He was hesitant, afraid to face the answer.

The Minerva of the past would have jumped at the opportunity for she loved adventure. And hence, he was secretly relieved when she said that she would not take up the offer.


	13. Tom Riddle

**Chapter 13: Tom Riddle [1957, Spring – 1957, Autumn]**

It was the first time since he started teaching that Albus needed to see a student personally before the student entered Hogwarts. Wool's Orphanage had requested his presence, stating that the boy, Tom Riddle, refused to go to school after receiving his Hogwarts letter and there was no one else who could change his mind. He was a queer one.

"In the couple of years Tom's been here he has never once had a visitor. Strange things happen when he's around. There have been incidents with the other children," the nurse said, as she escorted him to Tom's room.

Albus was aware that Tom had been left at the orphanage since he was eight years old after his mother, Merope Gaunt, passed away.

"What sort of things?" Albus asked.

"The curtains of other children's rooms often catch fire. And sometimes, they find their freshly laundered clothes dripping with dirt and mud. His presence scares them, you know. But honestly, I can't tell if he's serious or not. After these nasty things happen, sometimes toys would appear on those children's beds and that'd cheer them up immensely."

Albus nodded, indicating that he was listening.

"He'd make animals and creepy-crawlies go after those who dare mess around with him. Recently, he's even claimed that he's learnt how to talk to snakes! But I really can't tell if it's true or not. He keeps a small snake as a pet and it scares the other children. We had no choice but to leave him to it after making sure that the snake was not poisonous because he overpowered us."

"Overpowered?" Albus frowned. It was very rare for child wizards to overpower adult ones, even as he knew that the few wizards and witches who worked at orphanage were not very powerful, and there might have been a couple of Squibs amongst them.

"You'll see," the nurse opened the door.

Albus' first impression of the boy was that he was the sullen and broody type, but his magic was unmistakably strong. He could almost feel Tom's magic emanating as an aura and pulsing through the air. He was very surprised initially as this kind of innate magical talent was extremely rare. But perhaps, it was only to be expected considering the bloodline on his mother's side; he was a direct descendant of Salazar Slytherin.

"How do you do, Tom?" Albus moved towards the boy in a cordial manner.

"You're the doctor, aren't you?" Tom replied, huddling in a corner on his bed.

"No, I'm a professor. May I sit down?" Albus inclined towards the side of the bed.

Tom gave a small, reluctant nod.

"They want me to be taken away. I'm not mad," Tom said, after a while.

"Hogwarts is not a place for mad people. Hogwarts is a school of magic. You can do things can't you, Tom? Things that other children can't."

"I can make things move without touching them. I can make animals do what I want without training them. I can make bad things happen to people who are mean to me. Want to see?"

Albus gestured for him to try. Without so much as moving a finger, a fire roared in the doorway. He had an incredible control of magic for someone his age.

"I can speak to snakes too. This is Nagini," he opened his palms and showed his pet snake to Albus.

Albus smiled. "That's all very well, Tom. You are a powerful wizard with much more talent than I could have ever imagined. But you see," he said gently, "power is used to protect others, Tom. People whom you love."

"I don't have anyone whom I love," Tom said.

"You'll make friends at Hogwarts," Albus promised. "But I need you to promise me that you will not use your powers to harm the other students at Hogwarts. Learn to get along with them, and you will find that Hogwarts is a very enjoyable place."

Tom did not reply, but Albus thought he detected the smallest of nods as he left the room.

xxxxx

Tom started school that autumn and was sorted into Slytherin. Due to his masterful skills, he aced all his lessons and became known throughout his cohort very soon. But because of his sullen manner, the fact that he always carried Nagini with him and was surrounded by a menacing bunch of friends comprising Bellatrix Black, Augustus Rookwood, Walden Macnair and Ludo Bagman, his peers were generally afraid of him. It did not help that his grandfather and uncle used to be avid supporters of Grindelwald and this was an open secret.

Albus called Tom to his office one evening when he saw Tom brooding in a corner of the library earlier in the day.

"How are you doing, Tom?" he asked cheerfully, as Tom sat down. Tom did not reply.

"I wanted you to have this, I thought it might cheer you up," he pushed a box in front of Tom with a small smile.

Tom opened the box and his expression changed immediately. His eyes twinkled and his lips twitched, hardly containing his delight. It was a beautiful wand; thirteen and half inches in length, made of yew with a core of phoenix feather.

"I feared that your current wand would not bring you to your full potential," Albus looked at the wand in Tom's hand. It was old and mouldy. Its ends were splintered and its body, chipped. Tom had inherited it from his mother when she passed away.

"Thank you, Professor," Tom gave him a genuine smile for the first time. "I'll cherish it."

He then proceeded to share with Albus about how others had been talking about him behind their backs, partly due to the way he carried himself, but mostly because of his ancestry. Albus advised him to ignore the rumours and shared a few stories of his own when he entered Hogwarts as he too faced a similar treatment from fellow students back then. They had a deep discussion about the matter late into the night.


	14. The dementors project

**Chapter 14: The dementors project [1958, Summer]**

The Ministry's annual ball took on a sombre tone that year. Ignatius Tuft, Wilhemina Tuft's son, had become the Minister for Magic after she passed away in spring due to an unfortunate case of allergy. Ignatius came into power riding on the tailcoat of his mother's popularity. But their personalities were as different as chalk and cheese. While Wilhemina's graciousness allowed her to bring different groups in society together, Ignatius had a narrow view of things and the most outrageous ideas.

The new Minister started promoting the use of magical creatures 'for the good of society' recently. His pet project was to have dementors patrolling the streets regularly so that the wizarding community would would feel safer and magical law enforcers would have more time to rest. Albus always believed him to be slightly deranged, but preferred not to judge at such an early stage of his leadership.

"I'm glad you could come for the ball, I've heard so much about you," Ignatius walked up to Albus quickly at the first sight of him.

"I'm sure you will agree with my methods," Ignatius rambled on, after they had exchanged pleasantries. "Don't you think we will have more time on our hands if we could make the magical creatures work for us?"

"I don't know, Minister. I'm not sure I'd feel quite safe with dementors roaming around my neighbourhood," Albus replied.

"Oh, come on," Ignatius advanced. "Were you not all about the 'greater good' in your youth? I've read all your essays which you published under a pseudonym before you started teaching at Hogwarts, you know."

"I don't think Albus ever advocated for a dementors breeding ground, Minister," Minerva's voice was tart and her lips were thin.

Before Ignatius could continue, Albus asked to be excused on the pretext of a dance and led Minerva away to the floor.

xxxxx

"I fear for our society in the coming years," Minerva said darkly, as they danced.

"My dear professor, let's leave it to the politicians and the bureaucrats and just enjoy ourselves tonight, we've earned it," Albus said, his eyes twinkling, as he twirled her around.

Minerva gave him a hard stare. "You mustn't let him discredit you, Albus. You're the glue that binds us together when those... _politicians_ and _bureaucrats_ crumble like cakes, and we can't afford to have society think that your intentions are muddled. Whatever that has happened in the past remains there, and I won't have anyone bringing it up again."

He was slightly taken aback by how highly she thought of him, how seriously she viewed his integrity and honour and how defensive she could be of him. And he was moved. He said nothing, but drew her closer to himself as they danced.

xxxxx

They were both so lost in their thoughts that they did not notice another couple coming up to them. Neville Sr and Augusta Longbottom were were a celebrated couple. Neville Sr had gained fame as an Auror, and although Augusta became a homemaker to look after their young son, it was widely known that she was a formidable witch of her own accord.

The two couples met, and after a while, Augusta pulled Minerva aside, leaving Neville Sr to catch up with their old professor.

"Are you quite sure Albus Dumbledore hasn't been treating you like his personal house-elf?" Augusta's eyes narrowed.

"Well, haven't you been saying so since our schooldays?" Minerva was amused. Augusta often joked about her being a house-elf when they were in school because she was always running errands. But over the years, her tone on the subject grew more serious. She often urged Minerva to get on with her life if there was no chance of building a relationship with Albus Dumbledore.

"Great men can be such chauvinistic snobs, Minerva. You've got to be careful of them! You can't let them take advantage of you!" Augusta sounded genuinely concerned.

Seeing that Minerva had no reply, she rattled on. "I never knew what you saw in Dumbledore. Sure, he's powerful and all that. And he was a good teacher. But, he's so queer too, isn't he? Who wears ankle-length trousers these days? Paired with a top hat? He doesn't even wear matching socks!"

Minerva laughed, Augusta was just so funny sometimes.

"With that kind of fashion sense... are you not he's not _gay_? Are you sure he's not just making use of you so that he can ward off all the other ladies and go about his odd ways forever?"

"And since when did you start judging a book by its cover?"

"I don't mean to judge, my dear girl. But look at how old we are now! Do you seriously intend to remain single all your life and not have any children? Look at how old my boy is already - he'll be attending Hogwarts before we can finish spelling gobbledygook! If Dumbledore's not serious about you, then for Merlin's sake, just accept the Head of Magical Law Enforcement! I know he's serious."

"How's Frank?" Minerva caught the opportunity to change the topic. Augusta could never stop talking about her son when someone brought him up in their conversation. To her relief, Augusta was successfully distracted and they started chatting about Frank and other things. Minerva made a mental note to give Albus a proper pair of socks the next Christmas.

xxxxx

Tom had been sitting in Albus' office for over an hour now but the Headmaster did not seem to have time for him. Albus had been replying to owls, entertaining visitors at the fireplace and shooting silver phoenixes from his wand all the while.

Tom was growing impatient. Although Albus had explained to him that there was an emergency at the Ministry, something to do with dementors, Tom did not expect to have to wait for such a long time before being able to speak to the Headmaster. He had an emergency too – his wand was not working well and Nagini had been hurt by a rebound effect from it. But Albus would not listen. He set him down on the couch promising to come back to him before continuing to bustle about his official affairs.

"I'm sorry Tom, but could I ask you to seek advice from your Head of House? I really have to head off to the Ministry now," Albus said after a long while and sent him off.

Tom emerged from the Headmaster's office feeling ignored and resentful. For the first time since he met Dumbledore, he was upset with him.

xxxxx

When Albus finally came back from the Ministry that night, he was thoroughly exhausted. Ignatius Tuft's dementors had gone wild in a village; drifting into houses and threatening to kiss every single person despite having no mind of their own, and it had taken a lot of effort to put them back in order.

As he sat down with a cup of tea, Albus was suddenly reminded of Tom. He could not remember what Tom was saying at all and he seemed to have sent the boy away to someone else, but he could not quite remember who.

"Did Tom Riddle visit you today, Minerva?" Albus asked, as Minerva stepped into his office just then.

"Why would he come to me? Horace is his Head of House," Minerva said stiffly, as she sat down.

Albus looked at her, and it suddenly dawned on him why he thought there was always something odd about her when it came to Tom. She did not show the amount of concern he thought she would have for her best friend's son. He was intrigued.

"Did you not know Tom before he came to Hogwarts?"

"I did see him a couple of times when he was younger, when I visited Merope," Minerva admitted.

"And when Merope passed on? The nurse said that nobody had ever visited Tom at the orphanage."

"I wasn't all that close with the boy, Albus. He takes after his father, who wasn't a very pleasant person to be with. And I was so busy."

Albus raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, all right," Minerva sighed and closed her eyes. "Merope and I... we were never the same after... what happened to my family."

He nodded.

"We still hung out while we were in Hogwarts but after school, we drifted apart. Our values and dispositions were simply too different," she took a deep breath. "And when she ended up with that Riddle guy, well, I couldn't quite get along with him, and I thought it'd be better for them to lead their own lives."

He understood. He could see why Minerva never really got over her prejudice no matter how hard she tried to because what happened to her family had left her permanently scarred. He said no more as they settled down to talk about the day's events and subsequently, to a comfortable game of chess.


	15. Elphinstone's proposal

**Chapter 1** **5:** **Elphinstone's** **p** **roposal** **[** **1959,** **Summer** **]**

Albus did not expect to meet Elphinstone Urquat in the Hog's Head Inn. He had visited Aberforth to warn him about the Ministry's plans of putting dementors in Hogsmeade, and that he and the other residents should do something about it if they did not want such an outcome. Albus and Aberforth's relationship had improved over the years, after Minerva had coaxed Albus into facing his past and apologising to Aberforth some years back.

"Professor Dumbledore, would you care for a drink?" Elphinstone approached him first. The two men had a fruitful discussion about the matter of dementors roaming around before moving on.

Albus observed the man sitting opposite him silently. Elphinstone was smart, composed and quite attractive, and therefore although he was many years older than Minerva, Albus could see why he was a good match for her.

"Albus, I intend to propose to Minerva this autumn," Elphinstone said.

Albus jumped – he totally did not expect this. But he sensed that this was perhaps, the real reason why Elphinstone had conveniently bumped into him at the bar.

"I had hoped for your support... as her superior, of course," Elphinstone looked at him meaningfully.

Albus did not know what to say. Part of him knew that the most logical reaction – which was also the proper behaviour and manners expected by society – was to congratulate the man sitting opposite him and say his well-wishes. He expected this from himself too. But what was this sense of dread that was beginning to spread inside him? He was about to lift his hand to congratulate Elphinstone, but that sense of dread pulled him back.

"Have you asked Minerva how she feels about it?" Albus managed, after a long moment.

"I was intending to surprise her, so, no," Elphinstone admitted.

"Don't you think it's perhaps best if you talk to her first?"

"And if she says 'yes'?" Elphinstone asked.

Albus was stumped. He could not handle these difficult questions hurled at him one after another as if by catapults intending destroy. The sense of dread which had shrunk in size after he had smartly asked Elphinstone to talk to Minerva came back in full force and threatened to consume him.

"I won't let you win her over, Urquat," Albus stood up suddenly, knocking his drink over. He was surprised at how childish he sounded. And before he could make a bigger fool out of himself, he shot out of the tavern.

xxxxx

That night, Albus tossed and turned in his bed. He did not have the need to reach so deep into his heart for answers for such a long time.

When Minerva started working at Hogwarts, he felt at peace for the first time in his life. After all that happened in his childhood and youth, the dark times, and then the hectic times when he was juggling so many duties by himself, Minerva's presence gave him the impenetrable, infallible sense of support which he so desperately longed for. She listened, when he had no one else to turn to about the troubles of his youth. She guided, when he was at a loss on what to do to bring an end to the dark times. She helped, when there were so many owls from the Ministry that he could find no time to write his school speeches or carry out other Headmaster duties. Minerva was always there for him, dependably, solidly, present.

Could it be then, that he had finally fallen for her?

Albus sat up straight, the thought sending shivers down his spine.

But Gellert! Oh, Gellert!

Albus shut his eyes tight and hugged his knees as he remembered the brilliance of that man; that love which could only have been. Before he knew it, a single drop of tear was rolling down his cheek.

That night, Albus dreamt of Gellert for the first time in a long while.

xxxxx

When he woke up the next morning, Albus decided that he would ask Minerva to accompany him to Nicolas and Perenelle Flamel's wedding anniversary that autumn. Nicolas had insisted that he bring a partner along, and this was perhaps the best that he could do for both Minerva and himself, for now.


	16. The Chamber of Secrets

**Chapter 16: The Chamber of Secrets [1960, Autumn – 1961, Summer]**

"The horror within the Chamber has been released!"

A terrible rumour had started spreading around Hogwarts at the beginning of that school year. Staff and students were well aware of the legend that there was a Chamber of Secrets somewhere in Hogwarts built by Salazar Slytherin when the school was first founded. Slytherin had apparently used the 'horror within' to purge the school of students whom he did not think worthy enough to continue studying magic, namely, the Muggle-borns and the half-bloods. However, this remained a legend and nobody knew whether the Chamber indeed existed or not after centuries had gone by. The rumour was thus alarming, and it was made worse because nobody could verify where, when or how it started, shrouding the school in a fog of insecurity. By way of precaution, the staff had ordered students to return to their dormitories every day by sunset.

xxxxx

"It's terrible, Minerva, it seems that the rumour about the Chamber of Secrets is true. A student has been found unconscious in the girls' bathroom on the second-floor," Pomona Sprout, the new Herbology Mistress and Minerva's old friend from school, informed her as the both of them hurried off to incident site together.

The incident site was a disaster. All the facilities in the bathroom had exploded, and Myrtle Warren, a second-year Ravenclaw, lay petrified in a corner. But Minerva and Pomona had to fight through hoards of students to get to her, for it seemed that a small riot had begun in the bathroom itself and students were hurling the remnants of the bathroom facilities at one student in a spate of mob violence.

It was very easy to identify who the target was due to his size. Hagrid was crouching in another corner of the bathroom with his hands over his face, trying to protect himself from all the objects and insults the other students were throwing at him. It did not take a genius to figure out that everyone thought Hagrid was the culprit and were taking out their anger on him.

In all her career at Hogwarts, Minerva had never been so angry with her students before. She worked efficiently to puts things into order; asking Pomona to levitate Myrtle to the Infirmary and get her Mandrakes ready for the remedy, waving her wand and muttering a few incantations to repair the bathroom, ordering the rowdy students to present themselves in front of her in a row and giving them such a dress down that it would earn her the reputation of being the most irascible professor at Hogwarts, and finally, bringing Hagrid to her office for a mug of hot chocolate.

xxxxx

As expected, Hagrid explained that the students were attacking him because they thought that he had unleashed the 'horror' against Myrtle. He had gone into the bathroom to help because he saw the mess and a student lying on the floor. But before he could even reach Myrtle, a hoard of students rushed into the bathroom after him and started accusing him of being the culprit. Arthur Weasley and Molly Prewett were the only ones who tried to defend him, but he had asked Arthur to take Molly away before the other students started to hurt them as well.

"I don't blame them, Professor," Hagrid said in a small voice, hunched over in his seat. "Many students don't like me because... well... of who I am," he finished, in complete defeat. Minerva knew that Hagrid did not have an easy time in school because many were still biased against his giant lineage.

"Do you have any idea who did it?" she asked.

Hagrid shook his head.

"Did you see anyone along the corridor while you were there?" she pressed.

"I saw Tom Riddle running along, shouting about an attack," Hagrid finally spoke up. "That's why I went to the bathroom."

xxxxx

Thin ropes shot out of Minerva's wand as she burst into Horace Slughorn's office. The ropes wound themselves tightly around the boy who was sitting in front of Horace at his desk.

"Wha... what's this?" Horace spluttered, dropping his reading glasses and stumbling out of his seat.

"Minerva! Calm yourself down!" Albus shouted as he hurried after her into Horace's office. Tom Riddle froze in his ropes as he felt Minerva's piercing gaze bore into him.

Minerva spun around and turned on the two men angrily. She explained everything that had happened and demanded an explanation from Tom and his Head of House.

"Untie the boy, Minerva, and then we can talk," Albus ordered after she finished ranting. She obeyed reluctantly.

"Tom, did you unleash this 'horror' within the Chamber, and set it upon Myrtle?" Albus asked sternly.

"I didn't mean to unleash it, Professor. But I was so lonely after Nagini died. I had no one left to practise Parseltongue with," Tom said in a small voice.

"Can you tell me what this creature is?"

"It's a... a basilisk, Professor," Tom's voice shook. "I didn't know what type of snake I was talking to across the walls until it led me to the bathroom and I saw Myrtle petrified. Only a basilisk's gaze could do that. And I turned and fled before I was caught in the gaze too."

Horace clapped Tom's shoulder, seemingly proud that his student had such profound knowledge.

"You unleashed a _basilisk_ because your pet died and you were lonely?" Minerva asked, her tone a mixture of wonder, disgust, ridicule and reproach all at the same time.

"I didn't know that it was a basilisk until the incident at the bathroom, Professor!" Tom stressed. "I thought it was just a snake moving along the walls. I thought maybe it was like Nagini, and we could be friends."

"But why then, did you point Hagrid to the bathroom, knowing that the basilisk was there and it could harm him too? You were trying to get Hagrid to the scene to make him out to be the culprit, weren't you?" Minerva refused to let the matter drop, her tone sharp.

"I was scared," Tom admitted, biting his lip. "I didn't want to be known as the culprit. I didn't want everyone coming at me."

Horace sighed and looked at Albus. Albus found that he did not quite understand Tom at times. The boy always managed somehow to end up in nasty situations or produce nasty outcomes without seeming to intend for them to happen. He could not tell if Tom was truly of a malicious nature, or if he was just severely misunderstood. It was just as what the nurse back at Wool's Orphanage had told him – strange things seemed to accompany Tom wherever he went, and nobody could tell whether he had meant for them to happen or not.

Minerva would not allow the matter to rest until Albus had docked off fifty points from Slytherin and sent Tom for three weeks' detention with Argus Filch. Before they left, she reminded Horace severely that he had to take his student firmly in tow.

xxxxx

In spite of everything that had happened with Tom and the Chamber of Secrets, Horace Slughorn was quite fond of this student and considered him to be the star of his Slug Club. By the end of his fourth year, it was evident that Tom Riddle was the most powerful student at Hogwarts at that time. He did things with a wand which nobody had ever seen and achieved remarkable results when he approached magic with unorthodox methods. And hence, when Tom approached Horace to discuss the subject of horcruxes, Horace could not quite shoo him away, no matter how much that topic frightened him.

"Horcruxes... are powerful, dark objects... where a wizard hides... a fragment of his soul to achieve immortality. The... the higher the number of times a soul is split, the more indestructible the owner becomes," Horace's voice was lower than a whisper. "But the owner will lose more and more of his humanity too. It's an evil and foul thing, Tom. Why would you want to know about it?"

"I thought it'd help me understand Defence Against the Dark Arts better, Professor," Tom said. "Has anyone actually used it before?"

"It... it was rumoured that the dark wizard Grindelwald did... but it's only a rumour, we will never know. This concludes our discussion, Tom," Horace said with finality. "And make sure no one ever finds out that we ever had this conversation."

Tom thanked his professor before leaving the room.


	17. The Triwizard Tournament

**Chapter 17: The Triwizard Tournament [1963, Autumn – 1964, Summer]**

"The champion for Durmstrang is... Igor Karkaroff!" Albus announced.

The students cheered as Igor marched away to the trophy room proudly to await instructions.

"And last, but not least, the champion from Hogwarts is... Tom Riddle!"

The Great Hall fell silent for a second before soft, polite applause rose.

Tom went to the trophy room quickly. After he was forced to acknowledge his role in the incident with the Chamber of Secrets, most of the school eyed him with fear. They did not believe that the likes of him, a distant heir of Slytherin who had unleashed a basilisk on a fellow student, could be chosen by the Goblet of Fire as Hogwarts' champion. He must have hoodwinked the goblet into bidding his command.

But Tom had been announced the champion, and he intended to show everyone what he was capable of.

xxxxx

"Minerva! Are you ready?" Albus called from the doorway which led to her quarters.

Minerva smiled at him as she emerged from her room in her dress robes. She saw him momentarily stunned as he stared at her, before he caught himself.

They were attending the Yule Ball, a tradition of the Triwizard Tournament, together. Albus looked excited – this was the first time Hogwarts was hosting the tournament again after the very time he lifted the Triwizard Cup himself – and he seemed to be enjoying designing and judging the tasks as well as the associated festivities. She hoped this was a sign that he was gradually putting Gellert behind him, for this was the very event at which they had first met.

xxxxx

The champions and their partners danced well, Minerva observed, as she hosted some Ministry officials. Tom Riddle, in particular, was carrying himself so well that all the girls and ladies were mesmerised, she could tell. At least for this night, they had forgotten how scary he could be.

"Minerva, may I ask for the next dance?"

She turned around and saw Elphinstone standing right in front of her.

"Elphinstone! This is a pleasant surprise! What brings you here?"

The Head of Magical Law Enforcement was an important person who would have naturally been invited for the event. But such important people rarely found time to attend this kind of school event and preferred to send their subordinates.

"I could never miss a chance to see you, Minerva... you look _dazzling_ tonight," Elphinstone could hardly contain his admiration. The Ministry officials she was hosting made way for them knowingly.

Minerva blushed as she allowed Elphinstone to pay her the compliment. She did not know then that Albus had been quietly observing all this a distance away, and she did not know later if he had sent Tom Riddle to disrupt it, or if Tom came on his own.

"Professor, could I have the next dance with you?" Tom greeted Elphinstone perfectly and asked her with a charming smile.

Minerva was puzzled. She had treated Tom with quite a bit of disdain after he had caused trouble for Hagrid, to show her displeasure. And hence, she could not quite fathom why he would approach her for a dance.

"You promised last term, during the lesson before the examination, that you would grant me any favour that I asked for if I continued to behave. I have been good," Tom reminded her.

Tom had performed an extraordinary transfiguration that lesson which earned him one of her rare smiles. She had indeed promised to grant him a favour.

"All right," she smiled at Tom and turned to Elphinstone. "I'm sorry to have to disappoint you, Elphinstone. I did promise Mr Riddle here so." She allowed Tom to lead her to the dance floor.

xxxxx

Minerva realised that this was the first time she had properly danced with one of her students, and that she had forgotten how nice it was to be young and carefree. Tom's steps were light and energetic, his grip firm but gentle, and as he twirled and spun her around, she felt like she was seventeen again. She looked at her best friend's son; tall and handsome, all grown up, and suddenly found tears in her eyes.

"Professor?" Tom asked, as he wiped away her tears gently in a chivalrous motion.

"Please excuse me, Tom. I was thinking about your mother."

Tom nodded in understanding.

"Do well and try to win the Triwizard Cup, won't you?" she asked, after a while.

Tom gave her a confident smile.

xxxxx

The Headmasters of Beauxbatons, Durmstrang and Hogwarts were in a heated discussion. Tom Riddle had used a dark spell in the last task of the Triwizard Tournament, and they were in disagreement as to whether he should be awarded the Triwizard Cup for obtaining top marks, or disqualified.

"But he used a dark spell! How can we allow this abomination? What have you been teaching your students at Hogwarts, Dumbledore?" Beauxbatons' Headmaster shook a fist at Albus accusingly.

To Albus' surprise, Durmstrang's Headmaster – one who was known to be partial towards his own students – spoke up for Tom.

"But we saw how expertly, how _elegantly_ he used his spells to take down that inferius," he protested. "I could tell that he used _sectumsempra_ because he thought he needed a dark spell to fight against a dark creature. And when he saw that it wasn't working, he quickly conjured a huge fire to burn that thing down," he argued.

"Oh, _you_ would appreciate the use of dark spells, I suppose. It's the normal kind of thing you teach at your school, isn't it?" Beauxbatons' Headmaster snubbed.

"Gentlemen, I think this is beyond us. Could we leave it to the decision of the Ministry officials, please?" Albus raised his hands in surrender and looked at Bartemius Crouch Sr.

"Yes, and you had better give us an explanation why an inferius was included in the task. An _inferius_! Of all the dark creatures!" Beauxbatons' Headmaster added angrily.

The Ministry officials took several hours to confer, travelling to and fro the Ministry, leaving all awaiting with bated breath. Finally, Bartemius Crouch Sr took to the stage to announce that they would award the Triwizard Cup to Tom Riddle. When asked for the reasoning, he explained that first, the rules did not explicitly state that dark magic was not allowed. Second, his learned colleagues had found several precedents of the use of dark magic in official competitions, the most recent being Filius Flitwick's use of it at the last duelling championship. And finally, dark magic could be useful when necessary, especially in real-life situations. What the champions faced could easily have been what anyone would have to face during dark times, and Tom had demonstrated that he could cope with the situation excellently. Albus Dumbledore himself had used quite a few dark spells when he defeated Grindelwald in the past. And after Albus was used as an example, no one else had very much left to say.

"But you still haven't explained why that creature was used in the tournament," Beauxbatons' Headmaster lobbied, indignant and persistent.

Bartermius Crouch Sr looked embarrassed and waited until the crowd had dispersed before he attempted to explain.

"The Minister... thought it would be a good idea to test the mettle of the champions."

"With an _inferius?_ It involves _necromancy_!" the Headmaster derided.

"Yes... but you see, our Minister feels that creatures such as dementors could help us..." Bartemius Sr had a hard time trying to ignore the expletives which were subsequently launched at him.


	18. At crossroads

**Chapter** **1** **8: At** **c** **rossroads** **[** **1964,** **Summer** **]**

Albus walked into the Great Hall looking around jovially at the graduating batch of seventh-years. Although there was that little blemish about the use of a dark spell in the last task, the Triwizard Tournament was largely a success and everyone enjoyed themselves tremendously, ending that school year on a high note. Tom Riddle had earned the respect of most of the students by winning glory for Hogwarts, redeeming himself somehow. And as expected, he had graduated with top grades that matched Albus' very own.

"Where's Tom?" Albus asked Augustus Rookwood, one of his friends.

"Professor Slughorn is fetching him from Professor McGonagall's office. We heard that he was getting a scolding from Professor McGonagall for entering Gryffindor's Common Room without permission."

Not again! Albus slapped his forehead in frustration. Just as he thought everything was going well, and he could proudly send Tom off to do great things for society, he had to go and get himself into trouble again.

"He's an odd one," Pomona Sprout laughed, coming up to join him. "So brilliant with his magic, and yet, you never know what he's up to."

"I can only hope that he continues to be good and not be led astray. I shudder to think what the world will be up against if he went down the wrong path," Albus said, lowering his voice so that Pomona would be the only one able to hear him.

"He has the potential to be worse than Gr... Grindelwald," he voiced his greatest fear.

xxxxx

Albus saw Tom in his office after the Triwizard Tournament to discuss his use of _sectumsempra_ in the last task. Tom explained, as Durmstrang's Headmaster had predicted, that he thought he would require a dark spell to fight against a dark creature. Albus accepted his explanation, but warned him against sinking too deep into the dark arts.

"Dark magic is not to be messed with, Tom," Albus said. "It has this quality that draws you closer to it, every time you use it. You could stop the advance of someone with both _stupefy_ and _sectumsempra_. But _sectumsempra_ hurts the person badly, and if you keep using it, you may think one day, that it is completely all right to hurt a person, when it is not."

Tom's head was bowed when Albus spoke to him then and therefore, Albus could not see his expression. He did not know whether Tom was convinced, or if he would eventually choose a path similar to the one in his tragic memories. He could only hope for the best.

xxxxx

"There they are," Albus' voice rose again cheerfully as he looked up from his short conversation with Pomona. Tom, Horace and Minerva were coming in from the entrance.

"I trust you have settled things amongst yourselves amicably?"

"Yes, yes, we're fine," Horace said heartily. But Albus noticed that Minerva's face was white and Tom's expression, grim.

He wanted to pull Tom aside for a few last words before they sent the seventh-years across the Great Lake, but Tom had already hopped onto a boat and left.


	19. The Order of the Phoenix

**Chapter 19: The Order of the Phoenix [1970, Spring]**

The public's calls for Albus to become the Minister for Magic skyrocketed after Minister Nobby Leach died of illness in his office that spring. Nobody knew how he died, but there were whispers of dark wizards at the Ministry, and Abraxas Malfoy's name was brought up, he being the last wizard to have seen Nobby Leach before he passed away. There was, however, no evidence, and the Ministry had to close the case, ruling it as a natural death. In times of uncertainty, the wizarding community often looked to Albus Dumbledore as their beacon of hope.

xxxxx

Albus' heart was heavy as he read the letter from the Ministry describing the recent spate of magical killings. A war, then in the brewing, was now official.

A dark wizard by the name of Voldemort had been amassing followers in the recent years with an agenda of dominating Muggles and Muggle-borns. His followers included not only wizards and witches who subscribed to his vision, but also magical creatures which society had long shunned – giants, werewolves, and most recently, goblins too. After the latest incident at Mould-on-the-Wold, the village which Albus had stayed at before the Dumbledores moved to Godric's Hollow, the Ministry could do nothing but declare war against this terror.

"Voldemort."

Albus' greatest fear was confirmed. When he shifted the letters of the name around, the only other name which he could see was that of his old student, Tom Marvolo Riddle's. He was greatly distressed. He thought that Tom would have enough sense and good in him not to walk down this path, but perhaps, he should have trusted him less and kept a closer eye on him after he graduated from Hogwarts.

xxxxx

"Minerva, I do not intend to join the Ministry's cause in bringing this 'Voldemort' down," Albus informed her later on, when they got together in his office to discuss the matter.

"Call me a fool, but I still don't wish to believe Tom's behind all this. I want to find out for myself exactly what is going on. If I were to join efforts with the Ministry, I may be honour-bound to do things which I do not wish to eventually," he sighed. "But going by the scale of the incidents, we would need help to prevent further killings and get to the bottom of this."

"Something like Dumbledores' Army?" Minerva asked with a small smile.

"I'm afraid so," Albus affirmed. "But we should have more people this time round. That was a nightmare! I don't know how you managed to accomplish all that and still graduate from Hogwarts with top marks."

"Leave it to me," she said. "I'll round up all those whom we can trust."

Albus felt his mind and emotions settling down for the first time that week. He knew that he could always depend on her. He reached for her hand but stopped halfway; catching himself in time. He had almost forgotten himself again. This was not the time to complicate matters – they had so much on their plates.

Fortunately, Minerva did not seem to notice as she was entertaining Fawkes and trying to come up with a name for their new league.

xxxxx

"Why do we always meet under such circumstances?" Aberforth asked gruffly, as he set about preparing a glass of gillywater for Minerva. She smiled and took a seat at the bar counter of Hog's Head Inn.

"Spare me, Aberforth," her tone was light-hearted. "I don't always come to you only when there's trouble. What about Christmas and New Year and Easter and Thanksgiving and such?"

"Yeah, yeah, but those are holidays which you absolutely must spend with family. You rarely visit me otherwise!" Aberforth argued. She laughed, refusing to engage in a dispute with him.

He leant closer to her and placed a sound barrier charm around them.

"So? Who are you planning to rope in this time round?"

"Yourself and Elphias, definitely. I'm thinking of my old schoolmates as well – Emmeline, Caradoc... maybe some of our better students who can be trusted – Hagrid, Arthur and Molly Weasley. Maybe you could give me some more ideas. I'm leaving out Bathilda Bagshot, though. I don't think she's up for much action anymore at her age."

"Have you thought about Alastor Moody?"

"Top Auror at the Ministry?"

Aberforth nodded. "He's quite trustworthy. You should think about the unconventional types too – those who are not known for their magical talents or power – but have connections and are able to give us valuable information. People like Mundungus Fletcher and Dedalus Diggle." Minerva and Aberforth had their heads close together in discussion for a long time.

"Am I interrupting?"

Minerva and Aberforth jumped apart. Elphinstone was standing behind them with a frown on his face.

"Elphinstone! What brings you here?" Minerva asked, slightly amazed. If she had not known better, she would have thought that he was tailing her as he always seemed to turn up in the oddest places where she was at.

"Mr Urquat is a regular at my bar," Aberforth said briskly, as he got up to prepare Elphinstone's usual drink.

"I didn't know that you were so close with the bar owner," Elphinstone said, as he sat down beside Minerva. "If anyone else had seen the two of you just now, they might have thought that you were a couple!" he blurted out after a while, his face turning red.

Before Minerva could respond, Aberforth had returned with Elphinstone's drink.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Mr Urquat. Contrary to what you think, most people know that I'm very close to Minerva, and my brother is well-aware of it as well."

"Aberforth," Minerva chided lightly, "it doesn't matter what the Headmaster thinks of my relationships."

"Is that so?" Aberforth raised an eyebrow. "Should I send him a message right now saying that you are officially going out with Mr Urquat?"

Minerva fell silent, and there was an awkward pause.

"I'm sorry, please carry on," Aberforth said, as he left the both of them.

"I apologise if Aberforth has offended you in any way earlier on, Elphinstone. He speaks bluntly," Minerva said.

"I didn't know that you are so well-acquainted with the Dumbledores, Minerva. I learn something new about you every time."

Minerva had no response to this, and she quickly directed their conversation to other matters.


	20. The Marauders

**Chapter 2** **0: The Marauders** **[** **1972,** **Autumn –** **1974, Spring** **]**

"Potter, Black. That's thrice in a row you have been late for class," Minerva said, her mouth a thin line.

"Professor, it was Peeves," James Potter said earnestly, "he kept giving us wrong directions."

"The day before it was the Fat Lady, then Sir Nicholas, and now, Peeves. Did you leave your memories at home during the summer break? Or did you perhaps have them stolen by Peeves as well?"

The boys looked at each other nervously, and then at the floor.

"It's only the third day of the new term. Try not to give our resident portraits and ghosts too much trouble for the rest of it, will you? Three days of detention with Mr Filch, one for each day that you were late, and ten points from Gryffindor, each," Minerva sighed, before sending them to their desks.

Gryffindor had some very interesting students currently. This pair, in particular, never failed to surprise her with new circumstances each day, good or bad. They were, in fact, very bright and pleasant boys. But their level of mischief was nearly unprecedented at Hogwarts.

xxxxx

"Penny for your thoughts, Minerva?" Albus walked into her office while she was staring into space. She sighed and rubbed her temples before turning to face him.

"Are you unwell?" he asked in concern as he walked over to lead her from her desk to the couch.

"No, Albus, it's the Marauders," Minerva said as she sat down beside him. Albus chuckled appreciatively.

"Have you decided what we should do about Remus?" Minerva asked, taking on a serious note. They received news last week that Remus Lupin had been bitten by a werewolf and were deliberating if he should be allowed to come back to Hogwarts, given that his condition would have to be delicately managed and constantly monitored.

"Horace is able to brew the Wolfsbane Potion very well. I have taken him into our confidence."

"You have? But he's never liked... well, those who are different from us, very much." Horace Slughorn was Slytherin's Head of House as well as a pure-blood wizard.

"Yes, but he couldn't give up the chance of participating in something _noble_. Don't worry, he will be professional about it," Albus patted her hand.

Relieved, Minerva closed her eyes. This matter had caused her sleepless nights.

"We'll have to decide where he should stay during the full moon. The Shrieking Shack would do quite nicely, don't you think? We could have a Whomping Willow planted at the entrance, to ward off any intruders," Albus continued.

Minerva nodded, grateful for his help. He was the one who came up with all the solutions to this tricky problem. Her creativity ran low when she was busy, and the past couple of years had kept her preoccupied with setting up the Order of the Phoenix and managing their missions and affairs.

"But his friends will surely try to visit him. They are pretty good at locating secret passageways and that sort, too. I'm sure they will find a way to the Shrieking Shack sooner or later." Remus Lupin was close to the pair of mischief-makers, James Potter and Sirius Black, as well as another boy whose name was Peter Pettigrew. The four of them called themselves the Marauders.

"It wouldn't be so bad for Remus to have some company," Albus said. "The problem is how to keep them safe when Remus is undergoing his transformation. The Wolfsbane Potion, while relatively safe and effective, can be unstable at times and for that, we will need additional layers of protection."

"Albus, do you remember what you introduced to me in my second year?" Minerva asked with a start.

"My dear, you can't mean..." Albus was startled.

"Yes. If they became like me, but in bigger forms, they would be able to protect themselves," Minerva said, her creativity returning as the huge load of Remus' problem was lifted off her chest.

"It's a complex process. You excelled at Transfiguration and I had no doubt that you would be able to do it. But the boys... and you know how it is, during such times. You've experienced it yourself. I hadn't thought things through when I suggested it to you then," Albus had his doubts.

Animagi were regarded with suspicion during times of war and distress. Their skills of concealment and disguise made them valuable spies but at the same time, made it harder to detect where their true loyalties lay.

"Don't worry, I'll help them," Minerva said, patting his hand this time. "And I don't intend for them to be registered; to be used as tools by the Ministry in future, so no one would ever know."

He gave in, knowing that he would never win when she was absolutely convinced of an idea.

"I'll give them the Invisibility Cloak, then. It will help to protect them before they master your skills."

It was Minerva's turn to be startled. Although she was never as intrigued by the cloak as Albus was, she knew it was a rare and powerful object, made even more precious by the fact that it was given to him by the love of his life.

"Are you sure?"

Albus simply nodded, knowing that it was for the best.

xxxxx

"No, James, you've got to relax," Minerva said. James' face was scrunched up into a ball as he tried his utmost to transform into his Animagus which was a stag.

Minerva was training the Marauders to become Animagi in her office. Remus and Peter sat on the couch watching as it was James and Sirius' turn to practise.

"Don't think about your form. Look into your heart and remind yourself why you are doing this. Concentrate on that instead. Your inner strength will bring out your Animagus."

She turned to a large, black dog that was running around them in circles, barking and wagging his tail excitedly. "And Sirius," she sighed. "How do you expect James to be able to concentrate when you are bounding around him like that?"

The Marauders were in the second-half of their third year now. They were known throughout Hogwarts as troublemakers who did not seem to take their studies seriously. But they turned out to be talented wizards and under Minerva's rigorous tutelage, managed to achieve their forms quite well, even though they still could not get it right every single time.

To Minerva's relief, the matter with Remus turned out all right in the end. Even though some parents were initially horrified to know that their children would be studying alongside a werewolf, Albus had won them over, as usual, with his wisdom and charm.

When Minerva pitched the idea to the Marauders about becoming Animagi to support their friend, the boys were over themselves with excitement and she had to threaten to lock them up in the broom cupboard before they would calm down. Over time, they began to realise the compassion which lay beneath her strict exterior and grew close to her, forming an excellent and lasting relationship.


	21. Matters of the heart

**Chapter 21: Matters of the heart [1975, Autumn – 1976, Winter]**

"Snivellus, why aren't you moping in the library and snivelling into your books?" James snickered.

"All brawn and no brain makes a dumb boy, Potter," Severus Snape shot back.

Their mutual animosity had begun ever since they got into a row on the Hogwarts Express during their first year. And if James were to be frank to himself, he had always been a little jealous of the fact that Severus and Lily Evans were childhood friends.

"Oh yeah? Want to have a go? You always think your little spells and tricks clever, don't you?" James sneered and pulled out his wand. Before Severus could react, he had already been flipped upside down; his boxers exposed for the world to see.

"Think you can get yourself out of that?" James taunted.

Students started gathering, screaming or laughing, and the scene in the courtyard turned chaotic.

"Stop this at once!" Minerva screeched. She had stayed back for a little while to discuss something with Lily after combined Transfiguration with the Gryffindor and the Slytherin fifth-years and before she knew it, this nonsense had happened. Lily was horrified as she hurried out after her professor, also shouting at them to stop.

"Explain yourself." Minerva's nostrils were flared and her mouth formed the thinnest line which could ever be drawn. She did not bother bring them back to her office this time, preferring to deal with it there and then to ensure that justice was meted and seen to be meted.

James had no good explanation for what he did, and Minerva decided to dock fifty points off Gryffindor, the most she had ever taken from one student. She also put him on two weeks' detention to reflect on what he had done and put his prefect title on probation. She made a mental note to counsel him about it later on.

Minerva then ushered Severus back to her office, wondering how in the world to console the poor boy. She was, in fact, quite fond of Severus. He was a very bright student and despite his odd ways and preference to keep to himself, he was pleasant enough to people other than the Marauders. She merely hoped that he would not dwell so much on dark magic with his group of notorious friends in Slytherin, such as Avery and Mulciber.

xxxxx

"Have a ginger newt, Severus," Minerva sat down opposite the boy on the couch and tried to make him feel comfortable. Severus took one quietly.

"Of course, I should be taking you to Professor Slughorn and making my apologies about my student, but don't worry, I'll do that later and he can complain to me all he wants. For now, I just want to find out if you are all right," Minerva said casually.

Severus stared at her. Professor McGonagall was known to be strict, but she had always been fair, and he was convinced so after he saw how she dealt with that big head earlier on. Before he knew it, everything between him, Lily and James came tumbling out of his mouth and he told Minerva all about his animosity with James – fighting for Lily's affections.

Minerva was quite taken aback. Although she knew vaguely about what was happening between her students, she did not expect Severus to confide in her.

"Do you think Lily could ever love me, Professor? Severus asked with boyish innocence, his eyes hopeful.

"I'm not sure, Severus," Minerva said honestly. This was the first time she had to provide counsel for teenage love and she was not quite sure what she should do or say. But she knew for sure that she had to keep her head on her shoulders so that Severus' confidence in her would not go to waste. She thought hard and chose her words carefully.

"But love is such a curious thing, isn't it? It is, of course, a wonderful thing if Lily could love you back somehow. But even if it doesn't happen, don't you already feel blissful by knowing that there's someone whom you could love... with all your heart?"

Severus fell silent, but gave her a small smile shortly after. He could understand what his professor was saying, sort of. He knew that he would continue to love Lily in any case, whether or not she loved him back.

"Do you have anyone whom you love too, Professor?" he asked.

Minerva was taken aback again. She did not expect this sudden question from her student. This was, in fact, a question she had become an expert in answering over the years and she could have fended it off easily if she wanted to. But strangely, somehow, she did not feel that she needed to be so politically correct about it with Severus. Perhaps, she was touched by the way the boy had confided in her so easily.

"Let's keep this for after your graduation, shall we?"

She gave him one of her rare smiles, and an unlikely friendship was formed.

xxxxx

Elphinstone had asked Minerva to meet him at Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop, a new cafe which was currently all the rage amongst students who were frequently seen there holding hands or kissing over cups of coffee and tea during the Hogsmeade weekends. She did not know why they had to come here of all places. She felt so embarrassed just by stepping into the cafe.

"Can we go to the Hog's Head Inn or somewhere else?" Minerva said quietly as she sat down opposite Elphinstone. "This place really doesn't suit us." She could feel stares coming their way and it was terribly awkward.

"I thought it might be nice for a change. This place is a very popular hangout for... lovers, and I wanted to borrow its atmosphere as I ask this of you," Elphinstone said, as he suddenly got up from his seat and went down on one knee.

"Will you marry me, Minerva?"

Minerva stared at him and tried to ignore all the squeals coming their way now. Obviously, the other customers had figured out what was happening at their table, and she was thoroughly embarrassed.

She could not pretend that she did not see it coming. In fact, she was rather impressed that Elphinstone had managed not to pop the question for such a long time over the years. She lifted him gently back onto his feet and into his seat.

"Elphinstone, it's very kind of you... but you are a very dear friend of mine and I hope we can keep it that way," Minerva cited the war and her students as her priorities.

"It is precisely because of the war that I am doing this now, Minerva," Elphinstone said. "We don't know whether we would be able to come out from it unscathed, and I don't want to have any regrets."

"I appreciate the thought, Elphinstone, but this is not the time. It's precisely again, due to the war, that I cannot make any promise. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must be getting back to Hogwarts. I'll write to you soon," Minerva concluded as she stood up hurriedly and left before anyone could start running up to congratulate them.

But she did not manage to get away so easily as her student, Lily Evans, called her from behind. She saw Lily sitting at another table in the cafe just now from the corner of her eye, and knew that she had witnessed the whole episode.

"I just wanted to congratulate you, Professor, before we got back to school and everything had to become formal and rigid again," Lily smiled as she fell into step alongside her.

Minerva stopped.

"Ms Evans... Lily, what you saw just now... it was nothing, and I want you to forget all about it. Merlin knows I'd love to obliviate the minds of everyone who saw it just now."

"Why, Professor?" Lily asked, astonished. "I think it's fabulous to have someone profess his love for you in front of everyone else! I would be so touched if Ja... someone did that for me!"

"Oh, Lily, it's not like that. Elphinstone is a very dear friend of mine, but nothing beyond. Merlin knows I don't have time for something like this. Now, be a dear and run along, and pretend that we never had this conversation," she sighed and sent Lily on her way.

xxxxx

Minerva knew that the story had spread and the damage was done by the time she got back to school for everyone was either smiling at her or giving her queer looks. She felt rather harassed as she slipped back into her office quietly. Even if Elphinstone had wanted to surprise her, why couldn't he have done it at a private place? She made a mental note never to agree to Elphinstone's invitations to meet her at places the likes of Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop again.

As Minerva sunk into her couch with a cup of tea to forget about the day's events, Albus burst into her office and flopped down on the couch.

"Is it true?" he asked, as he knocked over the tea pot. "Elphinstone finally proposed?"

Minerva nodded.

"And?"

"What do you wish for my answer to be, Albus?" she asked suddenly, averting his question.

He chewed on his lip.

"Well, of course, if you love him and think that this is the best for you, then you should go ahead..." he began uncertainly, all the while casting furtive glances at her.

Minerva stirred her tea and seemed lost in her thoughts for a while, before she sighed.

"I said no," she conceded.

She did not see, but the grin Albus had on his face after that nearly turned night to day.


	22. Severus' woes

**Chapter 2** **2: Severus'** **w** **oes** **[** **197** **7,** **Spring** **–** **1978,** **Summer]**

"Severus, stay here while I bring the Headmaster," Minerva's tone was stern as she left a shaken Severus in her office.

Severus had found out about Remus' secret at the Shrieking Shack and had taunted the Marauders about it in the courtyard, resulting in another fight. It turned out to be even uglier this time round, as Lily tried to stand up for her Gryffindor friends and Severus ended up calling her a 'Mudblood' even though he had not meant to. Lily ran off in tears, swearing never to be friends with Severus again, and Minerva left her Gryffindors to run after her while tending to Severus herself.

She left Albus and Severus alone in her office, knowing that Albus would be able to give the boy wiser counsel on this matter. When she entered the room again, Severus looked calmer, and he looked determined as well although his face was still white. She patted his shoulder reassuringly as he left her office.

"I don't know what to do about the students these days, Albus," Minerva frowned as she sat down.

"I remember not quite knowing what to do about you when you were a student yourself, Minerva," Albus chuckled.

"Is that so? But I have a rather high opinion of myself as a student, if I may say so," Minerva protested.

Albus laughed. "Yes, well, I didn't know what to about you because you were so sharp, and you forced me into doing so many things... which saved my life in the end, of course," he reached over and patted her hand reassuringly, his eyes twinkling. Minerva smirked.

"But I wanted to ask you about something else," Albus' voice took a serious tone. "What did Harold Minchum want with you, when he summoned you to the Ministry yesterday?"

Harold Minchum was the new Minister for Magic who came into office last year. He was a hardliner who was trying his best to fight against the dark forces, but nothing he did seemed to be working very well.

"He rounded up all the Animagi," Minerva said, "and warned us not to use our skills for illegal means. The punishment would be very harsh if we were found to be behaving inappropriately. He also wanted us to use our skills to help him, and he'll call for us when the time comes."

"Are you going to be all right? You haven't exactly been following the code of conduct for registered Animagi."

She knew he was referring to the numerous times she had slipped away in her Animagus form on missions for the Order, and more recently, her training of the Marauders whom she did not register.

"I'll be fine," she promised.

xxxxx

"I'm glad you have finally come," a veiled figure in front of Severus sneered.

"What do you want from me?" Severus asked, shivering.

It was the Easter break before graduation, and he had been dabbling with dark magic in his room. The last thing he knew was reaching for a bottle and feeling a tug at his navel. When he opened his eyes, he was surrounded by a dozen veiled people in a dark room that was lit only by candlelights.

Strange things had been happening to him the past term – it seemed that someone had been trying to reach him, sending unsigned owls and slipping notes into his school books. But he had tried to ignore all of them. He did not tell anyone at school for fear that they would think him mad and tell him it was all only in his imagination. Little did he expect it to culminate in this manner.

"I merely wanted to offer you the chance of furthering your studies in the dark arts, Severus. You can't pretend that you're not talented in this area, and with my help, you will be great."

"I don't need help with my studies, I can do it perfectly well by myself!"

"Oh? And will you say the same when it allows you to protect the people whom you love? A certain Lily Evans, for instance?"

"I won't let you touch her!" Severus exclaimed in horror.

"Then I suggest you'd better listen to what we have to propose before coming to a decision..."

Severus wanted to protest further, but someone had thrown a hex at him and he felt a stab of pain on his wand arm.

"Who... who are you?" he managed to stammer, attempting to block out the pain. But there was no answer and moments later, something was burned onto his left arm, causing him to scream and black out.


	23. The life-and-death potion

**Chapter 2** **3: The** **l** **ife-and-** **d** **eath** **p** **otion [** **197** **9,** **Summer** **–** **1980,** **Spring]**

"To the new couple, James and Lily Potter!" Everyone raised their glasses.

Members of the Order of the Phoenix had gathered at their new headquarters at Grimmauld Place for James and Lily's wedding. Albus had asked Sirius for permission to use his home, which was an ideal hideout, after the Marauders graduated and were officially recruited into the Order along with Lily Evans. It was very rare for so many members of the Order to gather together, and this was the happiest event which they had recently.

Albus approached Minerva with a glass of mulled mead. Her smiles were forced and she would scarcely meet the other members' eyes when they exchanged greetings.

It was no wonder she was upset. Two months ago, the McKinnons were killed by Voldemort's forces and she held herself responsible. She considered their deaths her fault as their ambush had failed because they were severely outnumbered; they did not expect so many enemies to turn up. She was in charge of reconnaissance and obtaining information still, as those were her specialities, and she regarded her duties with utmost importance. She knew that their chances of survival of increased only when the information they had was accurate, and took any mishap upon herself. Albus had to constantly remind her that it was also due to her information that they were able to thwart many tragedies, to prevent her from falling into the abyss of self-blame.

"Cheer up, my dear, it's a happy day," Albus tried, as he handed her the glass.

"I'm quite all right, Albus," Minerva tried to shake off the heaviness in her heart. "I just can't help thinking about Severus. What would he say if he knew about today?"

Albus was surprised that her thoughts were with Severus on her lions' big day, even as they were both concerned over rumours that he had gone to join Voldemort's cause after graduation. She told him all about how Severus first confided in her about his love towards Lily.

"But love can't be forced, my dear," Albus said gently, after she finished. "I'm sure Severus will come to know of it soon; maybe he even knows about it already, and he'll just have to accept it as it is. Life goes on."

"You're right, love can't be forced," Minerva agreed solemnly.

He suddenly realised how harsh he must have sounded to her and he looked down at his feet, twiddling his fingers. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"It's quite all right, I do agree," she said.

Albus did not know why, but he felt rather dejected when she cut him off so nonchalantly. He thought that her feelings for him ran deeper than that.

"By the way, I wanted to ask you about Sybill Trelawney," sharpness returned to her voice as she turned to another issue. "Why did you bring her into the Order? You know how I feel about seers and their 'being in the beyond'."

He snapped to attention as she brought Sybill up. He had just inducted her into the Order two nights ago.

"I wanted to discuss this with you, but I haven't had the chance to do so. You see, Sybill made a very curious prediction on the day I brought her to the Order. She said that a boy born to parents who had defied the dark lord three times would be the downfall of him. I thought we'd better bring her here to further analyse her prophecy and keep her safe."

"You believe her then?" Minerva sniffed.

"Well, better to be safe than sorry about it later on. Could I ask you to be so kind as to help her settle in?"

Despite her mistrust of Divination, Minerva could see that Albus had a point and grudgingly agreed to look after and work with Sybill Trelawney if the need arose.

"When's your turn?" Elphias Doge chortled as he joined Albus and Minerva. Other members of the Order usually left Albus and Minerva alone when they were in serious discussion. The only ones who dared to interrupt were Elphias, Aberforth and Alastor Moody. They looked at him quizzically.

"Wedding bells, my dear old fellows! You can't mean to wait till your hair's all white and your teeth have all dropped out!" Elphias guffawed, loud enough for the others to hear. Everyone turned now and looked at them with interest.

"You should have thrown the bouquet to McGonagall just now," Moody barked at Lily, while Caradoc Dearborn, Minerva's old schoolmate, whistled.

"Oh, come on now Elphias, what will the younger ones think? You know you're the one whom I've always had my eyes on," Minerva joked as she slipped her arm into Elphias' and pulled him away from Albus, managing the situation expertly as always. Elphias turned red and there was another round of teasing.

Albus watched them with a smile on his face, but Aberforth noticed that his gaze was wistful.

"Don't you ever feel that it'd be a good thing if you and Minerva finally got together properly, or have you really been unable to forget about that madman?" Aberforth stepped beside Albus.

Albus gave him a sad smile. He no longer feared the mention of his past with Gellert, but it still never failed to tug at his heart every time it was mentioned. If only the passage of time could wash away some things in life.

xxxxx

Minerva was beginning to realise that Sybill Trelawney's prophecy may have some truth in it when they learnt that two couples from the Order, Frank and Alice Longbottom, and James and Lily Potter, were expecting their first child.

"Our best bet would be on the Fidelius Charm," Albus said, when they were discussing what to do in his office. "It's best if they remain hidden until the children are born. We will have to appoint Secret Keepers – people who would take the location of their hiding places with them to their graves."

"Neville Sr and Sirius," Minerva said, fully understanding how the Fidelius Charm worked. "But wouldn't these choices be obvious? Why don't we be the Secret Keepers ourselves?"

"I'm afraid the couples would prefer someone closer to them than you or I, my dear," Albus said. "Besides, I wouldn't dream of risking... never mind." He trailed off, but looked at her meaningfully. She got the sense that he did not want their enemies to come after her and allowed the topic to be dropped. She hardly participated in combat in this war even though she was active in leading the reconnaissance. They both knew deep down that her health and magic were not as they once were, and she did not wish to argue with him.

"Shouldn't we put in other preventive measures just in case the bad guys do appear in front of them eventually and use their favourite curse?"

"I should think so. But no one can cheat death, Minerva. What methods can we employ when it comes to the Killing Curse?"

"I have thought about it. We can consider liquefying the curse and an equally potent healing spell into a potion that would have antidotal effects."

"Liquefy the _K_ _illing_ _C_ _urse_?" Albus was aghast. "My dear, I know I invented the method of liquefying spells into potions and have done so many times in the past for various uses... but never the Killing Curse! The level of danger would be immeasurable. We don't even know what the effects are, and you want to feed it to our friends?"

"Frank and Alice are my best friend's children, and Lily and James are my own proteges. I wouldn't have suggested it if I wasn't confident that you could do it," Minerva said pointedly.

"Yes... but I didn't think that you'd think of this," his eyes twinkled after considering her proposal for a while. Ever so prim and proper, no one would believe it if they heard Minerva McGonagall discussing about dark magic like this.

"Well, I did learn from the best, didn't I? Fight the dark with the dark," she smiled.

"But we would have to explain the situation to them in detail. It's their choice whether they want to take the potion or not. And you must know that it is not foolproof. The effectiveness of the Killing Curse depends on the level of magic and the strength of the intent of the castor," he said.

"As with any other spell," she agreed. "But Tom's not that bad."

Albus was surprised at her assessment. Tom Riddle was the one topic which Minerva had always been reluctant to touch upon, maintaining that he was Horace's charge during his school years and that it was unlucky to talk about him after he became 'Lord Voldemort'. She never had a high opinion of the boy despite the fact that he was her best friend's son. She told him before that it was because she fell out with Merope in the later years, but he could not help but feel that there was some missing element. It was uncharacteristic of Minerva to dislike someone because of their family background, and her reason for falling out with Merope was that her father and brother had participated in Grindelwald's cause. But he did not wish to pry when she did not wish to confide, and he always let the topic slip as they had more important matters at hand.


	24. Godric's Hollow

**Chapter 2** **4: Godric's Hollow** **[** **198** **0** **,** **Summer]**

Minerva was pacing around Albus' office when she saw a silvery stag running towards her bearing a message. It was James' patronus.

Her worst fears had materialised. The Fidelius Charm was supposed to keep the Longbottoms' and the Potters' locations secret, but somehow, it had failed. They were told to send their patronuses to Albus and Minerva as a last resort if they were attacked at their hideouts, and Albus had just rushed off to the Longbottoms minutes ago as he had received Frank's patronus. Her eyes narrowed in anger and worry as she rushed off to where the patronus led her to.

xxxxx

"Sirius, please..." As she arrived at a cottage in Godric's Hollow, Minerva saw Peter Pettigrew pleading with Sirius Black, right before he was blasted to pieces. Sirius was surrounded by a ring of veiled people - 'Death Eaters'; Lord Voldemort's followers – as they called themselves. She drew her wand and started to go to his aid, but Sirius yelled at her to stop.

"Minerva, he's inside. Please help them!"

Alarmed, she hurried into the cottage. She saw James and Lily lying on the floor, unconscious, while a veiled figure hovered over their baby who was crying in his cot. The veiled figure turned to her and lifted his hood.

"Tom, I can't believe... I never once believed what they said about you," she stammered, the truth finally evident in front of her.

When 'Lord Voldemort' began to rise, she shared Albus' doubts as to whether the dark lord was indeed their student, Tom Riddle, even though she had never told him so. She came to realise, from the information obtained for Order missions, that the real identity of this 'Lord Voldemort' was never clearly made known, and her hope that it was not Tom gradually rose. She fell to the floor to catch her breath as the truth threatened to consume her.

" _Crucio_!" A female voice shouted and Minerva felt an excruciating pain sear through her. She had barely recovered when she caught a glimpse of the female Death Eater starting to throw another spell at her. But she was stopped by Tom.

"What do you think you're doing?" she heard Tom snarl.

"Why, helping you of course! We just got rid of my nasty little cousin out there, and I thought I'd come back to give you a hand so that we can finish up our business here. There's no more time, Tom, the Aurors will be here any minute!" the female Death Eater finished off hurriedly. Minerva figured out that she must be Bellatrix Black.

"But you should never have hurt her," she heard Tom hiss.

"Are you _out of your mind_? If we don't attack Minerva McGonagall when we have the chance to, we may not get another opportunity! Besides, her death would come as a blow to Dumbledore. Isn't it your greatest wish to take Dumbledore down?" Bellatrix argued.

Tom was about to fight back when they saw her climbing to her feet, raising her wand.

"Duck!" Bellatrix screamed, while Tom stepped in front of her. But before he could do or say anything, Bellatrix shouted " _Expelliarmus_!" from behind him, and Minerva's wand dropped as she fell down a second time.

Minerva saw Tom cast a quick glance at her before turning to the baby again.

"Quickly, now!" Bellatrix screeched. "You know what you've got to do or else! I've helped you out in the earlier instance, you've got to do this yourself!"

"That's quite enough," a deep voice rang from the doorway. Minerva struggled to get onto her feet and to her relief, she saw Albus striding in.

"Tom, would you care to explain yourself?" Albus turned to Tom who was still hovering over the baby with Bellatrix.

"I..." Tom started, but at that exact moment, his left arm burst into flame.

"You've got to do it!" Bellatrix wailed as she grabbed his right hand which was holding his wand and attempted to force him to cast something. There was another burst of flame and this time, Tom's left leg was on fire.

But before Albus and Minerva had any time to react, Alastor Moody and the Aurors burst in through the door. Bellatrix gave a desolate howl as she threw another curse at Minerva, grabbed Tom and leapt out of the window.

As Albus rushed forward to catch Minerva who was falling yet again, he heard her whisper into his ear.

"Save him, Albus, he's your son."


	25. Her memories

**Chapter 25: Her memories [1980, Summer]  
**

"Use _legilimens_ ," Minerva wept, tears running down her pale face silently. She waited for Albus in her office and he rushed back to her as soon he had the Longbottoms and the Potters settled. She could not speak and had instead urged him to look into her memories for answers. He tried to refuse for that would mean intruding into her privacy, but there was no better way out and he was at his wits' end. He absolutely had to know what was going on.

xxxxx

As Albus stepped into Minerva's mind, he felt tidal waves of sadness threatening to overwhelm him. He chose to view the memories which pulsed with the strongest emotion.

For the first time, he found out that she had stayed by herself without any friends or visitors in Wool's Orphanage after her family died in her second year at school. She was still too young to live on her own then, and she had stayed there all the way until she came of age.

He saw that fated night. She had just saved his life by sacrificing years of her own from Grindelwald's curse on the fake Resurrection Stone. But he had so callously called her a child and she had run from his office.

He called her back after consuming too much firewhisky in his sorrows over Gellert, intending to apologise for his behaviour, but ending up claiming her; channelling all his desires for Gellert through her. It finally struck him hard why he did not approach her to take up the post of the Transfiguration professor in the earliest years when he needed help the most. He was too ashamed. He should not have done such a beastly thing when he could not promise her a future.

He saw how she had Tom shortly after, bringing him up all alone. But when Tom was slightly over a year old, she handed him over to her best friend, Merope Gaunt. Merope's child who was a few months younger than Tom had died from an illness and she thought that Tom's presence would help to cheer Merope up. She also thought that it would be best if Tom could be adopted under a proper family name; something which she could not provide him with.

Merope never knew who Tom's parents were and she did not dwell on it for she had enough troubles of her own. Her husband was not fond of her and he often abused her. When he finally left her and Tom after three years, she fell into major depression, and it was under such influence which Tom grew up, possibly resulting in his eventual sullen, brooding nature. Tom developed self-defense capabilities at a very young age for he had to protect both Merope and himself from people who were hostile and would make fun of or bully them given their ties with the Gaunt family.

She often visited Merope and Tom when he was young, and he was friendly with her. When Merope died after Tom turned eight, she decided to leave him at Wool's Orphanage, her old home, for a couple of years until he was of age to attend Hogwarts. She visited him regularly at the orphanage but warned him not to tell anyone else about it or she would not be allowed to visit any more. She was so busy managing her work and trying to keep her visits to Tom regular and secret that she rarely found time or energy for anything else, resulting in her apparent loss of interest in wizarding affairs.

He saw Tom's quarrel with her on his graduation day. Tom's friend, Augustus Rookwood, had said that she was scolding Tom in her office for entering Gryffindor's common room without permission. But in truth, Tom was confronting her about his parentage as he had picked up some clues over his years at Hogwarts.

"You're not my mother's friend are you, Professor? You're my mother," Tom accused. She froze in her tracks, before sinking into her couch and managing a "why exactly do you think so?".

Tom launched into a tirade which gradually wore her out, and he could see the colour draining from her face with his every accusation.

"You bound me up and would have whipped me if you could for releasing the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets. You were so angry that you ordered the house-elves not to give me any food for three days. But afterwards, you came to my bedside when I was sleeping and wept while you repeated over and over again how sorry you were; how it was all your fault that I had grown up with the wrong values. You thought you that had placed a sound barrier charm. But I was working a counter charm all the way, you know, and I heard everything."

She looked at the floor.

"You often brought me out when I was younger and those were the happiest times of my life. Could you imagine my surprise and delight, when I found out that you taught at Hogwarts? But you shut me out ever since I enrolled and pretended that you did not know me. Why?"

She kept her eyes on the floor.

"You could have continued to pretend that I was your best friend's son. But, no. You were afraid to lose yourself in your emotions and have everything revealed. We were under the scrutiny of so many pairs of eyes here and I was old enough to finally realise that you did not want anyone else to know that we shared a special bond."

Her eyes welled up with tears.

"You were always terribly strict with me in front of everyone, but you'd secretly make cookies for me when you thought I did well, and sometimes you had tears in your eyes when you looked at me, when we were alone. Tell me, unless you're a lunatic, is this the way a professor behaves with a student, or how a person behaves with someone else's child?"

Her eyes were tightly shut and her face was completely white by now.

"And my father is the Headmaster, isn't he?"

Her eyes flew open in horror.

"I have seen the way you behave around him, you know. I don't know why he left us, but mark my words, I will defeat him one day and make him pay for whatever he did," Tom hissed through gritted teeth.

Before she could react, Horace had come to the door and their confrontation had to end.

He saw how she tried to reach Tom in the years after he graduated but he was always evasive and it was not easy for her to locate him. He saw how she wept bitterly in her quarters after he shared his thoughts that the dark lord by the name of Voldemort was indeed Tom. He saw how her hopes rose and fell as she strived to get nearer to the truth. He saw how her health and magic deteriorated because of the lasting effects of Grindelwald's curse and her worries about Tom throughout the years. And it was all because of him.

xxxxx

"I should have known," Albus whispered as he stepped out of her mind, his eyes wet. "That ebony hair, those blue eyes... and that kind of innate magical prowess," his voice was full of regret. "I'm so sorry for..."

"No," she cut him off before he could continue.

"I was a willing party, and Tom's not a mistake. I don't expect anything to change between us. I know you have Gellert. But Tom does not deserve this and... and I hope you'll save him."

Her brave front had melted away again and this time, it was too much for him to bear. He pulled her into his arms, knowing that nothing he said would make up for all the hurt which he had caused her.


	26. The aftermath

**Chapter 26: The aftermath [1981, Spring – 1983, Winter]**

"I'm so sorry it turned out like this for Frank and Alice, Augusta," Minerva's heart was heavy.

The war was finally over and the older members of the Order met at Grimmauld Place to tie up the loose ends before they disbanded.

"No, Minerva. I know both Dumbledore and you have tried your best. When I think of the McKinnons, the Prewetts, Dorcas Meadowes... and the rest, I am already grateful. And of course, Caradoc..." she fell silent. Caradoc Dearborn's body was never found after the last major battle.

"It must be very hard for Emmeline. In many ways, they mirrored Dumbledore and you, you know..." Augusta said, after a while.

"You'll try to spend more time with her then?" she asked, and Augusta nodded.

"And what news of that devil who led to this whole big mess?" Augusta's voice lost its warmth.

It was found out later that Sirius Black had been the Secret Keeper for both the Longbottoms and the Potters because Frank did not wish to endanger his parents who were getting on in years. It was not very wise to 'put all their eggs in one basket', but the Longbottoms and the Potters shared a similar fate and they decided that if something were to happen, they would face it together. In fact, their hideouts were only minutes away from one another in Godric's Hollow, which explained how Albus found out where the Potters were even as he went after the Longbottoms.

"I can't understand why he had such absolute trust in that traitor!" Augusta said bitterly.

Sirius had gone missing afterwards and everyone believed him to be the double-spy who had sold their secret to the Death Eaters. Minerva had her doubts, for she was the last person to have seen him and she witnessed the scene where he was cornered. But she had no proof and she thought it wise not to bring it up to anyone other than Albus until there was something more concrete. Augusta would have never believed her under these circumstances, in any case.

xxxxx

"I'm very glad that you've come, Severus," Albus said warmly.

Severus had gone to him several months after the incident at Godric's Hollow, wishing to understand Lily's condition.

"I should have done this earlier," Severus' voice shook. "Perhaps she would have had a better chance."

"If you still love her, help us to protect her son. Tell him you're staying with us as his spy. He may believe you, and we can work together when the need arises," Albus patted Severus on his back comfortingly as Severus buried his face into his hands.

xxxxx

Severus received many fearful stares when it was announced during the Start-of-Term Feast that he would be the Potions Master as Horace Slughorn had retired. Many had doubts on his credentials as it was rumoured that he was on the dark side during the war.

"You mustn't let it get to you if you want this to work," Minerva advised as she slipped into the seat beside him at the staff's dining table after she finished with the Sorting Ceremony. "Many of us face doubts when we first come to Hogwarts as teachers."

"But none as an ex-Death Eater," Severus took a dig at himself.

Minerva merely shrugged and passed him the beef tripe.

"So what's happened to the Potter boy?" Severus asked, after a while.

"Harry is staying with his Muggle relatives. Albus said that it would give him the strongest protection due to blood ties."

"And do they treat him well?"

Minerva sniffed in disapproval. "They clothe and feed him, I suppose. But he might as well be an unwelcome pet staying in their house."

"Is there anything more that we... I can do for him?"

Minerva looked at him in admiration. "My, my, this is a pleasant surprise. I'd never have thought that you'd be willing to do something for James Potter's son!"

"Well, he's every bit of Lily's son as much as Potter's," Severus said in a gruff, bittersweet manner.

"We have someone keeping an eye on him, so you needn't worry. But we will let you know if there's something that you can do," Minerva promised.

The chatted on comfortably about several other things before Severus broached the topic.

"And I heard that wedding bells are in the air for you?" He was concerned about her as she was his only friend in Hogwarts other than Albus.

"You couldn't have seen it from _The Daily Prophet_ , I haven't said a thing to anyone."

"I saw Albus brooding in his office when I arrived earlier this morning. You should talk to him about it."

"Don't worry, I will," she reassured.

xxxxx

"But why are you marrying him?" Albus was visibly upset, as he slumped on the couch in Minerva's office.

"I can't very well marry you, can I?" she joked, as she made tea and brought out the chess set. He brushed the chess pieces away as she placed them in front of him.

"Oh, this is no time for chess," he huffed. "I'm distressed, Minerva! Can't you tell?"

"What's wrong with Elphinstone? He's a good man. He'll treat me well," Minerva said, as she tidied the chess pieces.

"But you don't even love him!" he wailed.

"If only love could solve all our problems, Albus," she set her teacup down and looked at him pointedly. He shrunk into the couch hugging a cushion, looking like a deflated balloon.

She sighed after a while. "Listen. Elphinstone suffered a tarantula bite last month and the poison is still spreading. The healer at St. Mungo's is not at all optimistic about his chances of survival. Do you really expect me to turn him down at this point in time?"

"Oh... I see," Albus fell silent, withdrawing his tantrum slightly. "But you could spend more time with him, take care of him, do whatever you need to make him feel comfortable. Do you really have to do this?" he piped up in a small, pleading voice.

She rubbed her temples – Albus could really be so childish at times.

"Am I to deny a suffering man his last wish? I'm going to marry him regardless of what you say, Albus Dumbledore."

Albus curled up into a ball and lay down on the couch, refusing to look at her. After a while, he got up and left her office without another word.

Minerva stared after him for a long time.

Maybe she was marrying Elphinstone because he was about to die and she felt that she owed it to him. Maybe she was disappointed that Albus took no action even after he learnt about Tom and he could not, in any case, due to who he was. But deep down, she knew that it was the best chance for her to quash all the rumours that had been around Albus and herself all this while, once and for all. Albus' honour and reputation would be ruined if society found out about Tom one day through whatsoever means. But if she had chosen someone else herself, then Albus' burdens on the matter would be alleviated.

xxxxx

"What's happening with the Headmaster these days?" Filius Flitwick, the Charms Master, asked as the Hogwarts staff gathered for a meeting. Albus had been in a bad mood recently and staff meetings were not as pleasant as before when they were peppered with lots of jokes and Muggle sweets. The atmosphere in school had been very tense since Minerva went on her marriage leave, and she was not due to return till some time later.

"Can't you be a little more sensitive? Obviously he's upset because he's losing his deputy," Septima Vector, the Arithmancy Mistress, hissed and nudged him.

"Is Minerva not going to teach anymore after her marriage?" Filius squeaked in alarm. "Who is going to control the Headmaster when he gets into one of his moods?"

"I won't be leaving Hogwarts," Minerva said with a small smile as she joined them, returning from her marriage leave earlier than expected. The staff cheered as she went back to her place, knowing that their dark days with an ill-tempered Headmaster were over.


	27. The robbery at Gringotts

**Chapter** **2** **7:** **The** **r** **obbery at Gringotts** **[** **199** **1,** **Summer** **–** **1992, Summer]**

 _A/N: The fic completely overlaps with canon from this point onwards and all the events take place alongside the original story. I.e. all the epic ADMM scenes in the books – such as the one where Minerva clears her throat when Albus was about to tell a joke while he was announcing the Triwizard Tournament in the fourth book, and of course, the major moment where she declares her loyalty when they were cornered by Fudge and Umbridge in the fifth book – take place alongside this fic's events. I wouldn't dream of imagining the story without any of those epic moments which kept the ship afloat... at least for some time. Of course, everything else, such as how everyone took down Umbridge together, happens too, for how could we ever forget the awesomeness of the books!_

 _I'm sorry I can't write much about Harry and his friends though, because I don't know how to, and in any case, canon already explains everything that is happening on their side._

xxxxx

Minerva the cat ran with all her might through the twisting underground passages of the white marble building. Many wizards and goblins were hot at her heels. She had no luck with this place, never having any cause to come here anyway because she had no valuables that were worthy of a highly secured vault in here. She only came for Order missions in the past, and when she did, it meant that someone in the Order was in trouble with money; be it Mundungus Fletcher who claimed that he needed funds to obtain highly secretive information though he was often found in taverns completely wasted, or Alastor Moody who insisted that they needed to equip themselves with the latest spyware. This building never gave her any good memories or feelings.

And it was the same this time round. Hagrid had managed to retrieve the object which Albus had asked for earlier on, but shortly after, they received word from Dedalus Diggle that someone had broken into Gringotts, and they were anxious to find out who had been eyeing the object all this while. She sprung into action immediately; slipping into the bank with Dedalus as a cat to see if they could catch the robber in the act or at least pick up traces of who it might have been. As it is, they missed the robber by a step and now, the goblins had taken her to be the robber instead for she was found near the vault where the object had been stolen from. She was hoping to outrun them and transform into herself before slipping away into the crowd at Diagon Alley, but alas, luck was not on her side. The Minister for Magic had chosen to come down personally to inspect the incident site with officials from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

"Now, now, who do we have here?" Cornelius Fudge drawled, as the wizards and goblins put her into a bag to be shipped back to the Ministry for interrogation.

xxxxx

"Let her go, Cornelius," Albus said, his eyes blazing with anger.

Minerva had been locked up in a cell at the Ministry for two days. No matter how she tried to explain herself, they refused to believe that she was not the robber. They accused her of being an utter disgrace as a respected professor at Hogwarts and the widow of the former Head of Magical Law Enforcement, and threatened to send her to Azkaban. She was not afraid of going to Azkaban, having gone there a few times herself and confident that she could get out if she wanted to. But she did not want her alleged guilt to cause trouble for Albus or Hagrid, or any of them who were involved in this standalone mission.

But Cornelius was backing down now, for Albus had personally turned up at the Ministry after they refused to release her on the first day. While society and Ministry officials often looked up to Albus and other elder statesmen such as Elphias, Griselda Marchbanks and Tiberius Ogden, this new Minister was infatuated with power and loved to be the sole authority on all matters, big and small. As such, Albus rarely visited the Ministry these days and in fact, this was his first time meeting Cornelius. It was most unfortunate that they had to meet under such circumstances.

"Dumbledore, you can't intimidate me into letting a suspect go," Cornelius said, cowering slightly.

"But that's exactly the thing, don't you see. She's innocent. How many witness statements do you require before you will be convinced?" Albus reasoned, preferring not to resolve matters through raw power.

"Oh, I don't know how credible these witnesses are. They all seem to be... on _your side_ , aren't they?"

"Are we talking about sides now?" Albus was incredulous. "Are you preparing for war or conflict or something which you've forgotten to tell us all about?"

"All right, very well," Cornelius conceded. "But even if I let this rest, there's the matter of her records. When Harold Minchum was in office, he rounded up all the Animagi to warn them about using their skills for illegal matters."

"Harold told me then that he had gathered the Animagi for a routine briefing."

"Right, and who's to say that she hasn't been using her skills for Merlin-knows-what reasons all these years?"

"Are you saying that you wish to send all the Animagi to Azkaban on a life sentence for _no reason_ , just because you're _afraid_ of what they'll do with their skills?" Anger was etched in every line on Albus' face now and Minerva could only hope that he would retain enough sense not to draw his wand. She touched his arm lightly and shook her head.

The other Ministry officials in the room retreated, preparing to face the wrath of Albus Dumbledore.

"Oh, all right, all right," Cornelius wrung his hands in the air. "I wash my hands off this case. But don't be surprised when the Animagi you love so much turn against you, Dumbledore." He inched forward to Albus unsteadily, putting on a brave front to conceal how shaken he was, and said under his breath, "I still don't know how Sirius Black managed to be on the run for so many years despite several sightings, do you?"

Albus ignored him and took Minerva's hand as they left, leaving behind a room of jolted wizards.

xxxxx

"Are you hurt?" Albus asked in concern, once they were safely out of the way.

"I'm all right," she reassured. "I'm sorry I was careless. I should have known better than to try to outrun them at this age," she smiled bitterly. This would have never happened during the time when she was running around to gather information against Grindelwald.

"No," he said firmly as he clasped her hands and drew her close. "I should be the one apologising. I didn't think things through enough. I will never lose you to Azkaban, or Fudge, or any other person or place, ever again," he promised.

And she was moved, because Albus rarely made such a clear proclamation of his feelings.

xxxxx

" _Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi._ "

Albus ran his hand over the engraving on the Mirror of Erised. Harry Potter, the boy who lived, had finally started school and the air at Hogwarts was thick with mystery on how he managed to slip through Voldemort's clutches.

Harry had spent a lot of time staring at the mirror, sneaking into the classroom frequently after receiving the Invisibility Cloak as a Christmas present, searching for times that never were with his parents. And Albus had just finished advising him that he should not spend too much time in front of the mirror, for men had wasted away before it, not knowing if what they have seen was real or even possible.

When Harry asked what Albus saw in the mirror, he laughed it away by telling him that he saw himself holding a pair of socks. Minerva often gave him socks as presents – she began to do so after Augusta had scoffed at his sense of fashion for his socks were always mismatched. As such, he was never short of any socks.

But he brushed Harry off not because he wanted to. The truth was that he had never looked into the mirror before. He was afraid of what he would see – what his heart truly desired.

xxxxx

"I'm betting on Harry," Minerva shrugged, after Severus complained to her about how the boy was spending all his time on Quidditch practice and not getting up to scratch on his schoolwork.

"So you're telling me, that you are all right even if Potter fails his Potions test," Severus scowled.

"I'm merely saying that it's quite all right for him to practise Quidditch until the match between Gryffindor and Slytherin this Saturday is over. I'm looking forward to my month's worth of gillywater," Minerva laughed.

Severus could not understand Minerva's double standards when it came to Quidditch. She had even gone out of her way this term to make sure that Gryffindor's bookings of the Quidditch pitch were in order.

"You'll understand when you see him fly, Severus. Harry's a natural – even better than his father!" Minerva's eyes shone, as Severus' scowl deepened.


	28. The Chamber of Secrets, again

**Chapter** **28:** **The Chamber of Secrets,** **a** **gain** **[** **199** **2,** **Autumn – 1993, Summer]**

"Minerva found him on the stairs," Albus said as he and Minerva carried Colin Creevy, who had been petrified, together into the Infirmary. Poppy Pomfrey covered her mouth and stared in horror.

"I shudder to think... if Albus hadn't been on his way down to the kitchens for hot chocolate..." Minerva was worried about her student.

"What does this mean?" Poppy asked urgently.

"It means that the Chamber of Secrets is indeed open again," Albus said with a grim look. Poppy gasped.

Of course, this was not the first time such a thing had happened at Hogwarts and Minerva was sure that Poppy would be able to put her student right again in no time with Pomona's Mandrakes. But it was horrifying to think that the Chamber would be open again, for whatsoever reason.

Albus and Minerva were about to leave when Poppy called after them.

"Oh, and you two," she clicked her tongue disapprovingly. "You can be more honest with us, you know. Whoever goes down to the kitchens at this hour in a woolly night cap? And why couldn't you have summoned the house-elves to bring the chocolate up?"

And she shut the door in their faces.

xxxxx

The atmosphere was solemn as Albus confirmed the next day during the staff meeting that the Chamber of Secrets was indeed open again. The Ministry had asked for his removal as Headmaster until the problem was solved. Cornelius Fudge never missed a single chance to discredit him whenever there was the slightest sign of trouble. He loved to be the man right at the top and refused to be sidelined by Albus' fame or power in any way.

"But what will we do with you gone, Dumbledore?" Professor Binns, the History Master, asked.

"Professor McGonagall will of course, take charge, and..."

"Not to worry, Headmaster, I'll track this... monster down, and destroy it in no time. Not an issue for this member of the Dark Force Defence League and five-time winner of the Witch's Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award!" Gilderoy Lockhart, the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, piped up with a winning smile.

"What're you going to do? Grin at the basilisk?" Charity Burbage, the Muggle Studies professor, snided. The other staff began to snicker.

Minerva allowed her mouth to turn slightly upwards before she cleared her throat. As much as she disliked this man who was turning out to be quite the phony, she did not allow herself to display anything less than her usual sense of professionalism.

"Five times' winner of... what? Something to do with the Witch's Weekly?" Minerva heard Pomona scoff under her breath to Filius. "When Dumbledore defeated Grindelwald, nearly all the witches in Britain threw themselves at his feet!"

"Including yourself?" Filius teased. Pomona turned slightly red, but insisted on her point. "It's not the first time this happened at Hogwarts. It was settled quite well the last time, if I may say so. I don't understand why the Ministry's making such a fuss," she grumbled.

"The Ministry's just making trouble for Dumbledore. You know how Cornelius Fudge is," Minerva walked over to them and reassured in a low voice. "Don't worry, the matter itself can be settled. At least we know where the entrance of the Chamber is now, unlike the last time."

xxxxx

"What are you going to do now, with him gone?" Aberforth asked as he set Minerva's gillywater in front of her.

"Well, it isn't quite like the last time. I'm not unconfident," she said, as she picked her glass up.

"Are you still able to see him then, now that he's banned from Hogwarts?" he asked.

"Of course, it's not as if they have locked me up as well," she said. "Speaking of which, I had better get going soon if I want to catch him today. It's getting late and I don't know if the Ministry will call him up later."

"Oh yes, it's Valentine's Day today isn't it? No wonder you're in such a hurry," Aberforth snided.

"Don't remind me, please. Our Defence Against the Dark Arts professor had the Great Hall decorated with those gaudy hearts and streamers, and he had dwarves dressed as cupids, barging into classrooms with love letters throughout the day. It was _such_ a nightmare. I was so glad to get out of school," Minerva rolled her eyes.

"Why don't you go out with me tonight?" Aberforth teased. "You haven't had a Valentine since your husband passed away, right?" Elphinstone was badly poisoned by the tarantula's bite and died a couple of months after their marriage.

Minerva smiled and set her glass down, preparing to leave.

"Does it always have to be my brother?" Aberforth sighed and tried for a pout.

She laughed and pecked him on the cheek before leaving the bar.


	29. Boggart troubles

**Chapter** **29:** **Boggart** **t** **roubles** **[** **199** **3,** **Autumn –** **1994, Summer]**

"Professor, I wanted to thank you for getting this for me, it's been really helpful," Hermione ran up to Minerva after their class ended.

"I'm glad to hear so, Ms Granger. How have your classes been this term?" Minerva asked.

"They're very interesting. I rather much like Professor Lupin's Defence Against the Dark Arts class. It's a huge relief from that miserable old... I'm sorry, Professor," Hermione looked embarrassed.

Minerva had to work hard to contain a smile. "Yes, of course. Now, run along to your next class."

xxxxx

As Minerva turned into the corridor leading to her office, she heard shouts and screams.

"Boggart on the loose! Boggart on the loose!" Argus Filch's voice could be distinguished from the rest.

Boggart? Minerva was alarmed. She could deal with many things but a boggart was not one of them. She hurried along, desperate to reach her office before the boggart could swoop down on her. But she was losing time as she saw the boggart coming along her way from the reflections on the suits of armour. As the boggart leapt over her head, she screamed and turned, running straight into Remus.

"Professor Lupin! Professor... please keep that thing away from me!" she buried her face into his chest and sobbed into his robes in a state of hysteria.

" _Riddikulus_!" Remus shouted, as Professor Flitwick conjured up a small chest and Argus Filch wrestled to force the boggart into the chest. Remus held her firmly until the situation was under control.

"Professor McGonagall, are you all right?" he asked gently.

Looking up, Minerva saw dozens of faces staring at her; some queerly, some trying not to laugh and some in genuine concern. The loose boggart had brought quite a number of staff and students with classes in that area together.

"Yes, thank you for shielding me. Well, I'd better get going," Minerva stammered and attempted to steady herself before slipping away, trying to avert all the gazes.

"What was that all about?" Argus Filch stared at her retreating form. Professor Flitwick shot him a look of warning before clapping his hands and saying "now, now, don't you all have classes?", dispersing the crowd.

xxxxx

"Minerva McGonagall afraid of her own boggart? That's ridiculous!" Rolanda Hooch, the Quidditch Mistress, said at the staff table during dinner time. Minerva's episode with the boggart had run wild throughout the afternoon, and it was the only thing anyone would talk about at dinner.

"It was my fault," Remus was very apologetic. "I should have kept a closer eye on that thing."

"Yes, but it's only a boggart, my dear professor. Even students can handle it with some proper training. Didn't you say the other day that your third-years were getting a pretty good hang of it already?"

"Oh, Rolanda, I wouldn't judge. If you knew what Minerva's boggart was, I think you'd agree that we shouldn't risk it materialising anywhere at all," Pomona's tone was disapproving. That got the attention of all the staff along the table and everyone perked up and stared at her.

"So? What's her boggart?" Filius asked excitedly.

"Well..." Pomona faltered, "I haven't actually seen it before."

But the staff were enraptured and looking at her expectantly.

"I think... it's the dark lord," she conceded, after a few moments. The staff gasped as a chorus, drawing several glances from the students who were sitting nearer to them.

"You-know-who?" Rolanda whispered, pressing on.

"No... the other one. _Gr... Grindewald_ ," Pomona's voice lowered to a whisper as well.

At this name, the staff's reactions were divided. The older ones cringed further; Filius toppled off his chair with a loud squeak and hid under the table while Hagrid choked on his treacle tart. But the younger ones snapped out of their trance.

"Oh, him! But I thought he was all right as compared to... you-know-who," Rolanda said, sounding much stronger than before.

"I wouldn't be so sure, Madam Hooch," Professor Binns' voice quivered. "History is very long and the most recent events are best remembered."

Poppy Pomfrey let out a small scream and knocked over her pumpkin juice.

"What's the occasion?" Albus asked merrily as he sat down. He had just returned in time for dinner after a meeting at the International Confederation of Wizards. As he was walking into the Great Hall, he saw many students staring at the staff table trying to figure out what was going on and his staff behaving in a most peculiar manner. They were so absorbed that they did not see him coming.

The staff scrambled to tidy themselves up and Pomona coughed, pulling herself together. "It's nothing, Headmaster. We were just talking about boggarts."

Albus raised an eyebrow, prompting her to continue.

"A boggart ran loose today... and Professor McGonagall didn't manage to keep it in check," she finished uncertainly.

Albus' expression darkened, and the staff fell silent.

"Someone's in trouble," Severus' evil, silky voice floated into Remus' ear.

xxxxx

"Are you all right?" Albus hurried to Minerva's office as soon as dinner was over. She did not go down to the Great Hall that evening, preferring to stay away due to what happened earlier in the day. She nodded, but he could tell that she was thoroughly shaken.

"You mustn't be too harsh on Remus, it was my fault that I couldn't handle the situation properly," Minerva said, after several moments.

"He should not have let that thing run all over the place..." Albus said darkly.

"No, he should not," Minerva agreed. "But he did not intend for it to happen. It was a one-off incident and there was no harm done. In fact, I think the lock of his cupboard where he was keeping the boggart was tampered by Peeves earlier."

"Peeves is the one I've been too lenient with, then," Albus scowled. "I'll deal with him tomorrow."

Minerva let the matter rest – Peeves was indeed getting quite out of hand these days.

xxxxx

But Minerva came down with a raging fever that night. Poppy could find no reasonable cause and attributed it eventually to a bad case of nerves. It seemed that nothing would calm her down as she thrashed about wildly in her nightmare.

"What do we do now?" Pomona asked in a worried whisper.

"Call the Headmaster, of course," Poppy replied in a matter-of-fact manner.

Albus was alarmed to see Minerva in such a state when he arrived at her quarters. But he seemed to know exactly what to do. He sat at her bedside and lifted her into his embrace, stroking her head until she calmed down.

"I'll stay with her, you may leave now, thank you the both of you."

xxxxx

"I really think they should do something about it. They are obviously madly in love with each other," Poppy said in exasperation after closing the door behind her.

Pomona shrugged. "Well, they are very close and it's no surprise what he did just now."

"I wouldn't describe it as just 'close', my dear professor. Can you imagine the Headmaster doing that for either of us? For Merlin's sake, he behaved like he was holding his beloved wife who was dreadfully ill when it was only a case of nerves and a nightmare!"

As much as she felt like chiming in with one or two of her own theories, Pomona held herself back and shot her a look of warning. While she often wondered if Albus and Minerva were more than what they seemed, she never once tried to find out more as she knew that the both of them were immensely private people who would not appreciate it if others read too deeply into their lives.

xxxxx

Albus looked at Minerva sadly as he held her in his arms. He knew that her boggart was what it is not because of her own experience with Grindelwald. She would gladly fight him and give him a run for his money any time even if she knew that she would not win. But she was afraid to face _Gellert_ because she believed that if he appeared again, he would take him away from her.

"I'll always be with you, my dear, don't worry," he said softly, as he planted a kiss on her forehead.

xxxxx

"Did you see him?" Albus asked worriedly as Minerva returned to his office. There was a commotion at Gryffindor's common room and Minerva had just confirmed with the Fat Lady that she had seen Sirius Black.

There was a whirlwind of news in the past few weeks. Sirius had finally been caught and thrown into Azkaban after being on the run for thirteen years. But before Albus and Minerva could get a message sent to him, he had managed to escape Azkaban and was on the run again.

"I should have gone to him earlier," Minerva berated herself. She was taken ill for a couple of weeks after the incident with the boggart, making her a subject of ridicule throughout the school. Many gossiped about how she was losing her grip. When she had gotten back on her feet, Sirius had already escaped from the prison.

"You mustn't blame yourself, Minerva," Albus' tone was firm. "I should have thought of a better way before this happened. But it's not too late, we should be able to catch him if he's still around. I'll search the grounds with Hagrid."

"You must be careful. Even though I saw that he meant no harm then, one can never be too careful."

Albus nodded and kissed her cheek before he left.

xxxxx

"Minerva McGonagall, as the only surviving witness of that night's events, do you have anything to say in the accused's defence?" Amelia Bones asked.

"It was Peter Pettigrew, that _creep_. I was on the run because I simply had to track him down," Sirius spat bitterly from the accused's stand.

They had congregated in front of the Wizengamot for Sirius' trial on his alleged involvement as a Death Eater which culminated in the events at Godric's Hollow. If found guilty, he would be given the death sentence.

"You blasted him to pieces, and yet you maintain that he's still alive. I really can't figure this out," Dolores Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic, said in a false, sweet voice.

Minerva flashed him a look of warning. Sirius was dangerously bordering on giving away the fact that both he and Peter Pettigrew were unregistered Animagi, and they could not have that. She knew that Cornelius Fudge was listening out there somewhere, waiting to pounce on her once he had the slightest evidence that she had used her Animagus skills illegally, for instance, training unregistered Animagi, and she could not lose her credibility if she wanted her account of the events to be taken as true by the Wizengamot.

"I can vouch for Sirius. He did not kill anyone that night. The only person whom he attacked was Peter Pettigrew. And if his words are true, that is, indeed, that Peter is still alive, I would think it wise to locate him before passing any judgement on an innocent man," Minerva said quietly, turning back to look at Amelia Bones. She had worked with Amelia many years ago when she was with the Ministry and she knew that Amelia would trust her.

"Yes, but how can anyone fathom or explain that this... Peter Pettigrew is alive, when he _has already been blasted to pieces_?" Dolores Umbridge was unrelenting.

"He could very well have apparated away, or maybe there was a portkey nearby, it remains to be seen," Minerva answered. "The fact of the matter is that I did not see anything at the scene that was indicative of a murder. The blasted pieces did not seem like blood nor body parts."

"And what about the thumb that was found?" Umbridge pressed.

"With all due respect, Madam Secretary, a severed thumb does not necessarily correspond with a dead man," Minerva stood her ground.

Dolores Umbridge turned to address the Wizengamot. "And are you sure we are to take the witness' words seriously? The incident has gone by for many years. Shouldn't we rely more on the evidence in front of us, instead of this woman's memory? The blasting of another person is itself _suggestive of cold-blooded murder_!"

"Isn't the lack of conclusive evidence the very reason why we are here in the first place? If there were bits of body found other than a severed thumb, I'm sure all of us wouldn't be sitting here wrecking our brains together," Amelia Bones countered severely.

"Yes, but are we to base the verdict on this woman's memory? I've heard that she has gone soft recently – almost frightened to death by a mere boggart in school!"

Chatter amongst the Wizengamot increased in volume. Minerva was a respected witch known for her prowess and hence, this revelation came as a surprise to many.

"That's quite enough, Ms Umbridge. I don't think what you've brought up has anything to do with the case at hand. I'm sure we're all agreed, that the fear of boggarts has nothing to do with memory alteration. It is not as if the witness has been hit by a memory charm," Griselda Marchbanks, an elderly witch of the Wizengamot said authoritatively. Tiberius Ogden, an elderly wizard, nodded vigorously beside her.

"I think we've heard enough to come to a decision by now," Griselda continued. "Let the accused, witness and audience be dismissed, and we can have some deliberation before coming to a decision."

xxxxx

As they filed out of the chamber, Minerva saw Albus waiting for her outside. As Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, Albus would normally have presided over trials of such serious nature. But because of their close relationship, he voluntarily sat out from this hearing.

"How dare she! That... that impudent toad!" Albus was rarely rude in his language but he was furious that Minerva had been unjustly discredited.

"She's a formidable opponent, Albus, and very much in favour with the Minister currently. You must be careful of her," Minerva warned.


	30. A Yule Ball to remember

**Chapter 3** **0:** **A** **Yule** **B** **all to** **r** **emember** **[** **199** **4, Autumn** **–** **1995, Summer]**

 _A/N: This chapter can be replaced by 'Magic Works', my one-shot fic which spun this whole tale, although some parts have been refined.  
_

xxxxx

"Alastor! We _never_ use transfiguration as a punishment. Surely Dumbledore told you that?"

Minerva's wand was pointed at Moody's chin as she tried to make him see reason. He had just turned Draco Malfoy into a ferret, and as much as she did not feel any affection towards that boy, she could not allow any of her students to receive such treatment. She was very concerned with Moody's behaviour recently. Many said that he cracked up after too many years of dealing with dark wizards, and she did not know any better for she saw very much less of him after the Order disbanded. But the man standing in front her now seemed so foreign at times.

"He might've mentioned it," Moody mumbled.

"And you'd do well to remember it!" Minerva said sternly.

xxxxx

"The last dance, my dear. We _are_ supposed to be dance partners, aren't we? Even though we haven't seen much of each other tonight, attending to our esteemed guests and other necessary distractions..." Albus said, looking slightly sheepish. He had in fact stayed away from her after the first dance because he was mentally preparing himself for something.

"Minerva, would you honour me with the last dance of the Yule Ball this year?"

Minerva looked at Albus in mild surprise. He had been so busy flitting around that night - she did not think that he would have any more time for her. She was just glad that he honoured their tradition of sharing the first and the last dance at any ball they attended together, no matter how busy they were in between.

In truth, she had been worried for some time now. It seemed that Albus had been doing things on his own lately without talking to her. For instance, when she last visited the Weasleys at the Burrow, she overheard Arthur and Molly talking about him leaving Hogwarts two years ago when the Chamber of Secrets was open again not really because the Ministry had forced him out, but because he had something to do and conveniently went along with the Ministry's ploy. It probably had something to do with rumours of the dark lord rising again. But Arthur and Molly had ceased their discussion of the topic once they saw her walk into the room.

She did not know whether it was because she had become too meddlesome for him; for instance, warning him to be careful with the Minister and Dolores Umbridge too many a time, when he had repeatedly reassured her that he knew how to manage them. Or maybe it was just that she was really getting on in years and he needed younger and stronger wizards and witches to help him fight against the rise of the dark forces again. Her credibility with him had probably dropped several notches ever since the incident with the boggart as well, even though he had been kind about it. After all, who in their right mind would want someone who cannot even deal with a boggart as his deputy?

As she was deep in thought, Albus had steered her to the dance floor. He drew her close and they danced comfortably that way for some time. But in a sudden motion, he leant her head against his chest and rested his chin on her head – an act of intimacy which was very unlike him. This drew a few stares from the other couples on the dance floor and the surrounding audience.

Minerva was puzzled again. Although Albus had become more distant in sharing his plans with her in the past year or so, he had become more intimate in other ways. He would kiss her forehead or cheek and hold her hand when he thought no one was watching, and he would send her to bed and escort her to breakfast every day without fail. It was completely mind-boggling. But the knowledge of his sexual orientation steered her to believe that it was simply a display of close friendship. Maybe he thought that she needed more emotional support after her failure to deal with a boggart. In any case, she was just grateful for his presence – that the same man who had lifted and twirled her in the same place half a century ago was still beside her.

As Albus danced, he fought with himself internally once more. Ever since Minerva had been taken ill by the boggart, he realised that something inside him had changed.

Albus always thought that he was still in love with Gellert, even after the revelation about Tom. But the fact that Minerva, who always seemed so dependably, solidly present, could be taken down by something so trivial as a boggart, frightened him immensely and he was terribly afraid of losing her, to illness or otherwise. He had enjoyed a lifetime of good health himself, due to extensive knowledge of alchemy and the Panacea which he had studied with Nicolas Flamel in his younger days, but her bout of illness reminded him of the fragility of things, of _evanescence_ ; the big word which she had used at their very first encounter, and he was not sure that he wanted to waste any more time beating about the bush.

As the song struck its final chords, he bent down and kissed her – a proper, passionate kiss on the lips this time round – in front of the world.

"Merlin's beard!" Students, staff and guests alike halted their activities to gape at them.

"I _told_ you!" Poppy squealed as she pulled Pomona into a corner. She was giddy with excitement due to alcohol and the current happening.

 _The_ _Daily Prophet_ and other major newspapers and magazines would be rife with stories tomorrow about how the greatest wizard of modern times no longer held the concurrent title of being the most eligible bachelor, after several decades.


	31. The Death Chamber

**Chapter 3** **1:** **The Death Chamber** **[** **199** **5, Autumn** **–** **1996, Summer]**

Minerva was terribly distressed. The last school year had indicated that dark times were indeed to come by again.

Her premonition had been accurate as they found out that the Alastor Moody who had been with them was an imposter all along. The problem was that they never found out who sent him, for he had obliterated his own memories before they could force _veritaserum_ on him.

Naturally, many attributed it to the rise of Voldemort again. But Minerva did not want to believe that Tom was behind all this. She had not heard from Tom since the events at Godric's Hollow despite trying every single way she knew to reach him, only knowing that he was still alive through blood magic. While she could bear with the suspense if there was no news about him; hoping that he was somewhere out there recovering from his burns and mending his ways, she knew that she may go insane if the rumours about him 'rising again' turned out to be true.

Minerva thought that everything was going to improve after Sirius exposed Peter Pettigrew and walked away as a free man a few months after his trial. But the past year's events had proven her wrong. And this year, the Ministry had sent Dolores Umbridge to them, which meant that things were going further downhill.

Dolores Umbridge was sauntering along the corridor with a wicked smile playing on her lips. She had taken over as High Inquisitor of Hogwarts after chasing Albus away, and had brought along dementors to patrol the school's borders. It reminded Minerva very much of the time when Ignatius Tuft was in charge.

Umbridge approached Severus, who had just come out from the library. "Professor Snape, might I remind you that this is the third time you have failed to hand in your lesson report to me? I am an understanding person, but I will not tolerate repeated disobedience from my staff."

"And might I remind you, that I'm not your staff. The last I recall, Albus Dumbledore is still the Headmaster of Hogwarts," Severus replied in his usual silky tone, refusing to back down.

"Oh, but that will not be the case soon, you'll come to see. And when that happens, you'll learn to regret whatever you have said to me in the past," Umbridge's expression was smug.

Severus looked as if he would like to slip a bloodroot potion into her pudding at the next meal.

Minerva walked up to them quickly. "I'm sure you didn't mean what you said, Dolores," and she steered Severus quickly away before either he or Umbridge could make another biting remark and start tearing at each others' throats.

"Severus, you've got to bear with it, there's no other way out. Give her your lesson report as soon as you can," she advised, as soon as they were out of her way.

"But you saw how smug, how _superior_ she was, how do you expect me to..."

"You've got to, otherwise you may very well find yourself packing your bags soon, and Merlin knows we can't lose another valued member of the staff. Speaking of which, I should be handing in my own report soon or risk facing the same..." Minerva muttered under her breath as she left Severus by himself uttering curses which he would very much have liked to use on the toad.

xxxxx

Grimmauld Place was in a state of panic as Remus and Tonks had not returned from a mission. With Albus gone, Elphias Doge uncontactable and Alastor Moody still recuperating from the ordeal of being imprisoned in his own trunk for a full year, Arthur Weasley and Kingsley Shacklebolt had no choice but to contact Minerva for advice on the situation.

Minerva fumed as she swept into the Order's headquarters. Nobody had informed her that the Order of the Phoenix had been revived a few months ago to deal with the second uprising of Voldemort. She could not believe that the first message which she received was already to deal with a crisis that might have been prevented if they had thought through their actions more carefully.

"Does Dumbledore know that the Order has been revived?" she snapped, glaring at the pale faces of the younger members.

"Of... of course. We wouldn't have reconvened if not for his orders," Arthur said uncertainly, not quite daring to look her in the eye.

"And nobody, Dumbledore included, thought to even drop me a message about it?" she asked in incredulity.

"I assume Dumbledore didn't want to involve you too much because he was concerned about your safety," Arthur tried again. The rest looked at each other and shuffled uneasily on their feet.

She rolled her eyes in exasperation. She had quite enough of people thinking that she had gone all soft because of her inability to deal with a boggart.

"We'll leave that for later. Now, tell me all about what you know of Remus and Tonks' mission."

Kingsley Shacklebolt filled her in on the details. It seemed that Remus and Tonks had infiltrated an important base of the dark lord's based on information given by Mundungus Fletcher, but nobody knew exactly where this place was, not even Mundungus.

"And you sent them on a wild goose chase without even knowing where this place is?" she demanded angrily, turning on Mundungus in disbelief.

"Well... I thought they would be able to get more information if they went there themselves..." Mundungus stammered, cowering. "I do have a vivid description of it, you know," he added hurriedly. "It is a grim fortress, jet black and forbidding, somewhere near Germany or Bulgaria..."

Minerva's eyes widened, the description bringing back distant memories. "I think I have a good idea of where this place is. Stay here while I try my luck," she said, before turning to leave the room.

"Take someone with you! Dumbledore won't be pleased if he knew that you went into action alone..." Arthur called after her.

"I've always done reconnaissance on my own. And he doesn't need to know," she said icily, as she slammed the door shut.

xxxxx

Minerva the cat snuck up behind Remus and Tonks who were trying their best to navigate the corridors of Nurmengard. They had taken down a couple of veiled wizards, but their presence in the area was still largely unknown and they were trying to find a way out. Nurmengard was a maze and Minerva had only gotten used to the routes after a couple of visits. She was impressed that the pair of them managed to find their way around in such a short time and with such little information. But she knew that she had to act quickly, for another pair of veiled wizards were sneaking up to them and more may be coming.

" _Stupefy_!" she whispered, stunning the veiled wizards as quietly as she could, before appearing in front of Remus and Tonks.

"Miner..." Before Tonks could finish calling her name, she clamped her hand over her mouth and issued quiet instructions to the both of them. Under her guidance, they navigated the secret passageways and found out that Nurmengard had indeed been revived as a base for the dark forces. But before she could confirm the one thing she wanted to know the most – whether Grindelwald was still chained up in the room at the highest tower – a group of veiled wizards were on their heels and she had to make the decision to retreat before they had to engage in serious combat.

Minerva, Remus and Tonks managed to return to Grimmauld Place safely but they found only Molly keeping guard there, and were faced with a terrible piece of news.

"You-know-who's plan has worked. He has managed to lure Harry and his friends to the Ministry. Sirius and the rest went after him!"

"Not Sirius!" Tonks gasped.

"What is this plan of Voldemort's?" Minerva demanded, as Molly cringed at his name.

"He planted a vision of Sirius being tortured in the Department of Mysteries into Harry's mind. We think he's planning to ambush Harry there and then take over the Ministry. Snape told us," Molly said, both incoherently and desperately.

"I must go after him. Sirius is bound to behave recklessly since he knew that he was the cause of Harry walking into the trap," Remus said anxiously as he prepared to leave.

"I'll come along," Tonks said, but Remus gave her hard stare. "No, you've had quite enough at Nurmengard and I want you to accompany Molly."

Tonks began to protest, but Minerva interrupted quickly. "He's right, Tonks. I'll go with him instead and bring Sirius back, don't you worry," Minerva said and pulled Remus out of the room quickly. She knew how Remus felt about their young friend, and she did not want to risk him losing focus after Nurmengard and with his mind already preoccupied by Sirius and Harry.

xxxxx

"Minerva?" she heard Albus' voice as she arrived at the battle site with Remus. Albus had apparently arrived at the same time as them. Remus ran off, but Albus took her arm.

"What are you doing here?" he asked hurriedly, his voice full of concern.

Despite her earlier anger after having found out that he had left her out of the Order's recent activities, she was glad to see him.

"I'm only here to bring Sirius back. Remus was worried that he would behave recklessly since he felt that all this arose because of him. I brought along additional portkeys with me, just in case," she said, as she thrust one towards him.

"Be careful!" Albus called after her.

"Don't worry, I don't intend to engage in any battle with a boggart," she smiled at him before hurrying off.

xxxxx

She found Sirius, Remus and Harry doing battle with Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange at the Death Chamber. Sirius was hovering dangerously near to the Veil as he threw spell after spell at Lucius Malfoy.

" _Confringo_!" Out of a sudden, Bellatrix, who was duelling with Remus, threw a blasting curse at Sirius.

" _Protego_!" Minerva countered with a shield charm at once, knowing that Sirius would have been thrown into the Veil had that curse hit him.

"You!" Bellatrix snarled, as she spun on her heels and saw Minerva. Ignoring her desire to hex Bellatrix straight into next Christmas, Minerva ran to Sirius and Harry and pulled them away from the Veil. She knew what drew them to it – the desire to be near to their loved ones in the beyond. But they were fearfully mistaken. It was most likely a ploy which the dark wizards had come up with.

"The both of you are the targets here. You've got to come with me at once! Dumbledore's arrived and he will lead the others to safety," she spoke hurriedly as she gestured wildly to Remus to get away from the Veil, signalling that it was a terrible trap.

"MINERVA MCGONAGALL!" Everyone in the Death Chamber jumped, as they heard a voice roar.

"My lord..." Lucius Malfoy began, and Minerva knew that the voice belonged to the mastermind behind all their sorrows and miseries. She could barely make out a veiled figure standing by the doorway when she was hit by a curse. In her pain and confusion, she managed to grab hold of Sirius before touching her portkey, trusting that Albus would wrap up matters at the Ministry and bring the rest to safety.

xxxxx

"Minerva... is that blood?" Molly asked in horror, as she arrived back at Grimmauld Place with Sirius in tow.

"It's nothing," Minerva felt genuinely all right. Whatever that hit her before she left the Death Chamber had only grazed her ribs.

"I have to get back to Hogwarts. Severus and Hagrid are the only ones there now and we don't know if they are going to attack the school as well," she said as she dropped Sirius off, leaving Molly and Tonks to deal with him.

xxxxx

Her fears were proven right when the first scene which greeted her as she arrived at Hogwarts was that of Hagrid being attacked by Dolores Umbridge and several others. She flew towards Hagrid and plunged her hand into her robes, but before she could draw her wand, four jets of red light shot towards her and hit her chest, causing her to black out.


	32. The promise of a lifetime

**Chapter 32: The promise of a lifetime [1996, Summer – 1996, Autumn]**

The hushed whispers inside the hospital ward fell away as Albus entered. His expression was unreadable as he looked at Minerva's lifeless form on the bed. Severus had informed him briefly that she was very badly hurt, but he had to see it for himself. And now that he had seen it, something inside him snapped and he turned cold. Never in his life had he felt such a sense of fear and doom before. Without a single word, he swept out of the ward and left as if he had never come by.

"No, no, no, no, no," Elphias Doge shot to his feet, shaking his head vigorously. "This is not good, not good. In all my life, I've never seen him so enraged. We'd better go after him to make sure he doesn't commit mass murder or something."

"But where is he headed to?" Hestia Jones asked, as the others shot each other looks of fear.

"Your guess is as good as mine... but looking at the facts," he swallowed, casting a quick glance at Minerva's battered form, "I'd say either the Ministry or Nurmengard. Emmeline and Kingsley can lead a team to the Ministry. Make sure Umbridge and the rest who were involved in the stunning go into hiding. He won't care if the Ministry is occupied or not; he'll storm in and get them. I'll bring the others with me to Nurmengard. Not that I've been to Nurmengard, but I'm sure Remus can lead the way," he looked at Remus, who nodded quickly.

"All right, off we go, and let's hope that Albus Dumbledore doesn't start World War Three by himself!"

xxxxx

Nurmengard was going up in flames when Elphias and the others arrived. Albus' grief was terrible to watch and his anger, terrible to behold. It was a scene right from the depths of hell as the Order members were stunned into inaction seeing him send _fiendfyre_ after the remaining groups of dark wizards in what was left of the fortress. In a way, it was a sight of wonder for they had never seen anyone using dark magic at this level before. But there was no time to linger in admiration, for they were literally watching the transformation of Albus Dumbledore into a dark lord; the powerful aura of darkness and sparks around him increasing in intensity with every second.

"Remus! Grab his feet! Arthur! His arms! Moody, take his wand!" Elphias acted as if he were commanding a platoon on the battlefield.

"Calm down, old man!" Aberforth barked as he rushed forward to hold his brother back. "Minerva won't want to wake up and find you in Azkaban!"

xxxxx

He remembered her first smile when he had let her off after she hexed a couple of students on the Hogwarts' Express for bullying her friend. He remembered all the warm smiles which she always had for him at the ready throughout all their years together. He remembered her last smile as she ran off to look for Sirius after passing the portkey to him.

And he broke down at her bedside, clasping her to him, regretting all the times that never were for what they could have been. How could he have allowed himself a lifetime of chasing after that phantom, when all the happiness he could have had in the world was beside him all along?

xxxxx

"How are you feeling today, my love?" Albus' eyes twinkled as he arranged a bouquet at Minerva's nightstand in the hospital ward.

Minerva's spirits were lifted as she watched Albus arrange the flowers. She had been staying in the ward for a few months, recuperating from her injuries. The stunners were easy enough to heal, but the curse which she was hit with at the Death Chamber was a tricky matter. It repeatedly sapped away her strength, forcing her to stay incapacitated for a much longer period of time than she would have liked to. The healers were rendered helpless by the effects of the curse – it seemed like something minor enough, but it was deceiving, and they were still looking for ways to heal her.

Albus had been kind. He stopped by to visit her whenever he had time (which was every day). He kept her informed about the latest happenings in society and in school; things like how Rufus Scrimgeour had taken over as Minister for Magic and how he had asked Horace Slughorn to come back and teach Potions, finally allowing Severus to take over the position of the professor for Defence Against the Dark Arts. He brought her books, the latest copies of _Transfiguration Today_ , and even discussed lesson plans with her, for he had stepped in to teach her classes during her absence. But the one thing which he would not discuss with her was Order business. No matter how much she pried and poked, he was reluctant to talk to her about it, maintaining that she required rest and that he would not allow her to endanger herself any more.

"So Harry finally knows that his parents are not dead?" Minerva asked, as he settled down on his usual spot at her bedside and took her hand.

"We told him and Neville about the whole thing together. Neville knew most of it already, of course, since he grew up with his grandparents. But it came as a shock to Harry. We explained that it was too dangerous for him to have known about it since he didn't have any lawful guardian before Sirius came back. He didn't accept any explanation at first; throwing up a tantrum and refusing to talk to anyone after that. He was bearing such a grudge – you know I didn't talk to him much last term because I thought somehow, someone was trying to reach into my mind through him. It was my fault, of course. But eventually, he came around."

The first thing Minerva did when she woke up was to insist that Albus told the truth about Lily and James to Harry and Sirius. They had kept the fact that Lily and James were alive, albeit unconscious, a secret to protect them. But she knew that they could not keep it under wraps any longer when the dark wizards were trying to use their presumed deaths against them – luring Harry, Sirius and Remus to the Veil.

She noticed that Albus was grim and regretful when he spoke about Harry, and gave him a probing glance.

"Whenever I think about Tom, Severus, Harry... I feel like a complete failure... no, I _am_ indeed a complete failure," he said in deep sorrow, after a while. She waited for him to continue.

"As much as I want to help and guide them, I can't seem to be able to do so. The more I try, the further they go away from me. Tom and Severus have treaded the dark path, and I hope Harry doesn't fill his head with all sorts of ideas of revenge and go down the same route."

"You've done your best, don't beat yourself up about it. Harry won't go down that way, I'm sure. Sirius and Remus are with him. Severus has come back to us. And Tom..." she faltered. This was the only case in-progress where the ending was still unknown, and it brought a sting to her eyes every time the name was mentioned. "He'll be all right, I know it," she finished, after a pause, and patted his hand reassuringly.

He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face into her shoulder suddenly.

"I'm so glad you're here with me, Minerva. Everything will be all right as long as you're here."

She held him gingerly. She still did not know what to make of his change of heart towards her. She was rather amused sometimes, that his actions could be so boyish.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," Kingsley Shacklebolt had knocked and was at the door.

"I remember telling you that no one is to look for me when I'm at the hospital unless it is a matter of absolute urgency," Albus said, without taking so much as a glance towards the doorway.

She touched his arm gently and shook her head. "Kingsley wouldn't have come if it wasn't urgent."

He caught himself and regained some composure, rising and gesturing for Kingsley to leave the ward.

She raised an eyebrow. "So I _am_ indeed not allowed to know about what's going on in the Order any more?"

"You need rest, my love," he kissed her before he left the room.

xxxxx

"I wish you wouldn't talk as if I were an invalid, Augusta."

"Of course not, my darling, you don't know how glad we are that you are back on your feet. Tell her, Emmeline," Augusta said. She and Emmeline were visiting Minerva in St. Mungo's for the last time as she was getting ready to be discharged from the hospital the next day.

"The Order's just been through the darkest times we'd ever seen, Minerva. Grindelwald and Voldemort would never hold a candle to Dumbledore if _he_ ever became a dark lord," Emmeline said, and the three of them laughed.

Minerva had heard enough stories to know that Albus terrorised everyone just with his presence when she was unconscious.

"I've come a long way for a house-elf, haven't I?" she joked.

"Yes, the most precious house-elf ever. Albus Dumbledore would keep you in a treasure chest if he could to ensure that no harm would ever come upon you again. Now seriously, Minerva, why haven't the both of you gotten married? Don't you think it's high time you put something official into your relationship; something for the community to remember you by when you're long gone? Or do you really want us to remember you as his most precious house-elf forever?" Augusta asked. Blunt as ever, she never failed to come up with the most cutting questions.

Minerva looked at Emmeline for help, but she merely shrugged. "Don't look at me, I'm with her this time. You wouldn't want to end up like Caradoc and myself, would you?"

"Neville Sr and Caradoc are both gone. Amongst the three of us, you're the only one left with the chance of ending happily ever after. Do something about it now before it's too late, my dear girl," Augusta encouraged.

"He's coming with me to my hometown for the first time tomorrow, maybe that's a first step towards something," Minerva conceded.

xxxxx

"And you were named after your great-grandmother?" Albus asked, as he and Minerva strolled arm in arm along the outskirts of Caithness in the Scottish Highlands.

"Yes, she was a powerful witch," she nodded.

"As you are," he said, and she smiled. He was rather ashamed that this was the first time he had ever shown interest in her background and family.

"I can't believe we've never come here before. It's a beautiful place," he said, after a comfortable pause.

"Well, I never came back after I lost my family. The memories were too painful."

"Of course, I'm so sorry, my love. What was I thinking?"

She had to fight hard to suppress a giggle. She found his new term of endearment rather amusing. He had only started using it recently.

In fact, she was rather amused by all the little ways he had changed around her after she was badly injured. It was as if they were dating, and she was finding it all rather amusing and refreshing at the same time.

He noticed, and looked at her seriously for once.

"Minerva, after the dark lord is defeated, and by now I'm sure you know that Grindelwald is the one behind all this, and not Tom, let's retire together in a small village and leave the worries of the world behind us."

Minerva knew for sure that Tom was not behind all the madness when she suffered the curse at the Death Chamber. Although she did not recognise it then, she recalled afterwards that the voice which had shouted her name belonged distinctively to Grindelwald, and Tom would have never hurt her so badly, no matter how disappointed he was with her. She recalled that he did not lift his wand against her during their last encounter, and had rebuked Bellatrix Lestrange for hurting her. Albus rarely discussed these matters with her nowadays, and so it came as a relief when he confirmed that the one whom they were all fighting against was not Tom. It was also a relief as she no longer sensed any hesitance in his voice when he spoke about Grindelwald.

"So, is this a proposal?" she teased.

He said nothing but put an arm around her and drew her into his embrace.

"I finally understand how Elphinstone felt, when I'd said I'd marry him," she said, after a while.

"I'm not asking for your hand out of pity!" he was indignant. But realising that what he said did not sound right, he became apologetic. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to insult your memories with Elphinstone by insinuating that you were taking pity on him when you agreed to marry him, Minerva. But you know what I mean."

"It's quite all right," she shrugged it off lightly, "Elphinstone knew what he was in for and we remained very close friends till the end."

"And I'm merely saying that I know what I'm in for too. I'm grateful enough that you asked," she added, after some consideration. Before he could argue, she cut him off.

"As long as Grindelwald and his forces are not defeated, we don't know what's going to happen. I'm happy enough to have had this conversation... this possibility of what you've proposed. But let's not make any promises when we don't know if we'd be able to keep them in the end," she said matter-of-factly.

She did not know how he would react if he met Gellert properly again. She knew that they did not cross paths at the Department of Mysteries, for if they did, the Order members and students from Dumbledore's Army present would have bore the tale. And even if it were true that he had put whatever he shared with Gellert behind him, she did not know if the both of them would make it through the battle safely. She knew that he was getting more and more involved with dangerous activities as he got closer to the heart of destroying Grindelwald, who seemed to have achieved immortality, once and for all. And as for herself, she did not know whether her health would hold up.

"I know you have many doubts, and my past behaviour has only served to add to those doubts. But I'm going to promise myself something whether you like it or not. Someday, I'll make you mine," he said, as he bent down to kiss her.


	33. The half-blood prince

**Chapter 33: The half-blood prince [1996, Autumn – 1997, Summer]**

"Why did you put the ring on when you knew it carried a curse?" Severus asked brusquely as he brought the potion which would contain the curse over to Albus. He did not have time to interrogate Albus when he first came to him for help as the curse was a powerful one and he knew that Albus' chances of survival would decrease the longer he took to concoct the potion.

"I didn't have a choice, it could not be destroyed unless it was worn. I should have known that he would execute a similar ploy to the one he used a long time ago with the fake Resurrection Stone. But even if I'd known, there would have been no way out – someone would have to sacrifice if the horcrux was to be destroyed, and it had to be myself," Albus said, after he gulped down the potion and the pain had ceased. The curse had caused his left hand to blacken and wither, but it would be contained for now.

"But you managed to escape from the previous encounter unscathed," Severus said, as he put the goblet away. "Couldn't we have used the same method for your full recovery?"

"Oh no, my boy. Don't even think about it. That sort of healing method is powerful, but it requires sacrifice on the part of another. I wouldn't put anyone through it on my behalf," Albus said.

Severus nodded; he had no need to ask who was the one who had made the sacrifice for Albus in the past. "You'll need to be on this potion for the rest of your life, Albus, it's not going to be easy," he warned. "And if all the horcruxes you're going to look for require active involvement on the part of the destroyer, your remaining limbs will not be enough. You can't continue doing this alone, let me help you."

"You know the plan," Albus' tone was firm. "I need your help on the other matter, it's the only way to bring this to an end." Severus nodded miserably.

"But don't worry, I've thought about whose help I can ask for in these missions, and young as they are, I think both Harry and Neville may fit the bill. They've both obtained some form of immunity against curses due to the life-and-death potion their mothers consumed."

Severus shuddered at the thought of that potion. He still could not quite understand how Albus managed to find it in himself to create it, and how the Potters and the Longbottoms were convinced to drink it. Sure, they kept their lives, but they were all unconscious and may never regain themselves again unless Grindelwald was destroyed. It was all in all, a ghastly notion.

"Of course, I'd have to give them training if I were to ask for their help, and I will be with them always so you needn't worry," Albus finished, clapping Severus on the shoulder with his good hand.

"I _am_ worried, but I think you're not sharing your plans enough with the one who's the most worried of us all. Let me bring Minerva, and..."

"No," Albus interjected. "You know her role in all this as well. Besides, she's recently embroiled in an argument with Augusta about Neville's N.E.W.T. subjects and I don't wish to add to her troubles," his eyes twinkled.

xxxxx

"Take me with you," Minerva said, as she swept into Albus' office.

Albus looked up from his book. "My love, you have not quite regained your strength since the unfortunate incident," he blinked. It was still hard for him when he remembered the sight of her lifeless form on the hospital bed; when he thought she might have left him.

"What about your hand?" she tried to argue, reaching gently for his withered hand.

"This?" he chuckled. "Well, it's just one hand. I am still relatively strong using my wand with my other hand."

"You can't deceive me, Albus. I know this curse as well as you do. If you continue to leave it as it is, it will eventually spread to the rest of your body and take your life. If only you would let me help..."

"Hush, my love," his tone was gentle but firm. "Our current circumstances do not allow me the luxury of time to receive treatment. In any case, when I am able to receive treatment, I will seek help from Severus and the others."

She started to interrupt but he stopped her. "I know how strong you are, but not in your current condition."

"Stop treating me like an invalid, Albus Dumbledore! I know my condition and I know very well that I can still be of help to you if you would just let me try!" she flared up, exasperated.

He sighed and pulled her into his arms, resting her head against his chest.

"My love, you know I cannot bear the thought of losing you again. Please don't put me through this."

"I just want to help, Albus. Tell me what I can do for you," her voice softened as she relented.

"Just sit here with me for a while. I'd love your company."

She fell silent as she rested in his arms. In some ways, she did not understand the situation very well. Perhaps his grand plan was already in motion when she was still unconscious in the hospital or even earlier than that. He did not share much with her this time round and so she could not help much. And yet, in many other ways, she understood the situation quite well, that he preferred her to remain at Hogwarts to keep an eye on the students and above all, he wanted her to be safe so that he could fully focus on his tasks at hand. It was as per Remus' sentiments – which she supported – when they stopped Tonks from going after Sirius at the Department of Mysteries. Remus could not afford to be distracted then, and neither can Albus, now.

"I'm worried, Albus. There's just too much going on these days. But all right, I trust that you will take care of yourself. Could you be sure to come back to Hogwarts... to me, safely?" she conceded, after a long while.

"I promise," he kissed her.

xxxxx

Minerva had just finished her class with the first-years when explosions and screams were heard. They did not sound like the usual types when Peeves was pulling his pranks. Alarmed, she quickly animated a few suits of armour and summoned the ghosts to see to it that the first-years were returned safely to the common rooms.

As she stepped out of her classroom, she saw Professor Sinistra running towards her.

"Minerva, there's trouble! Death Eaters have snuck into Hogwarts through some means, and what's worse," she leaned over to whisper into her ear, "I think the attack was planned by an insider... I think this attack is led by Severus!"

Minerva stepped back in further alarm. "What makes you say so, Aurora?"

"Who else knows that Dumbledore is not in the castle at the moment besides the staff? Filius, Pomona and the rest of our colleagues are at the Astronomy Tower holding off the intruders. I was supposed to pass on the message to Severus and yourself who were having classes at this end of the castle, but Severus is nowhere to be found! He has not been himself since the beginning of this school year – it is very likely that he may be doing things which none of us are aware of – and... and Septima told me that she saw a hooded figure who looked very much like Severus when she was coming out from her classroom on the seventh floor. Septima is not wont to lie!" Aurora gushed while trying to catch her breath.

"Now, this is not the time to second-guess, Aurora," Minerva steeled herself. "Could you continue to look for Severus, please? I will join the rest and see what we can do to chase those imbeciles away. Let me know at once if you manage to find Severus."

"Yes... yes of course, Minerva," Aurora muttered as she hurried off.

Minerva hurried to the Astronomy Tower where she saw that a fierce battle was already going on. " _Impedimenta_!" she slowed down a Death Eater who threw himself in front of her to block her way. Upon reaching the tower, she saw that the skies above had been lit by the 'dark mark', the same mark that was burned onto Death Eaters' left arms when they were recruited under the service of Grindelwald. This was worse than she had expected.

"Minerva! I'm glad you are here!" Filius shouted as he ran towards her. "There's trouble... we think it's Severus!", he pointed to a hooded figure who was lurking at a corridor opposite them. Filius would have gone after the figure himself but he was burdened with leading the fight against the Death Eaters.

She turned towards the hooded figure. "Severus, it it you?" she called, moving in and taking down a Death Eater at the same time. The hooded figure turned and ran, leading her into a corner of the tower where there were only the two of them. He removed his hood and faced her.

"I'm sorry, Minerva."

She gasped. This was beyond her wildest imagination. _What_ _on earth_ was going on?

"Why... why are you doing this?" she managed, unable to find words that would make coherent conversation. Severus simply turned and ran, leaving her at her spot, momentarily too shocked to move.

The next thing she knew when she snapped out of her daze, was that someone was shouting that Dumbledore had returned and cheers were erupting. But the cheers quickly died down and she sensed that something was amiss. She ran back to where most of the action was at and was horrified at the scene which greeted her. Albus was spluttering on the floor, asking for water, and Harry was trying to stem a blood flow from his robes. Albus was totally not his usual self. She gasped and tried to get closer to him, but was blocked by students, staff and Death Eaters alike between them. She saw Severus running towards him, and was momentarily appeased as she knew that Severus would help.

"Be careful, this is Dumbledore we are facing. Even with just one hand, he's still terribly powerful," one of the Death Eaters warned the others.

"He doesn't seem to be himself; why is he sprawled on the floor? Is that blood on his robes?" another spoke.

"This is our chance! We must hurry!" a female Death Eater cackled, and Minerva recognised that it was Bellatrix Lestrange. She turned to the group of Death Eaters and brandished her wand. "You will not get any closer..." However, before she could complete her sentence, a turn of events had occurred.

"Severus, please..." Albus croaked.

And with a wave of his wand and a jet of green light, Severus Snape blasted Albus Dumbledore off the Astronomy Tower.

And Minerva's world collapsed.

xxxxx

"We gather here today to commemorate the passing of one of the most brilliant wizards of our time..."

The list of honours which Albus had earned over the course of his life went on and on as the Ministry official who officiated the funeral droned. But Minerva heard none of it. In the immediate aftermath, she was distraught and had her fair share of dissolving into tears. But afterwards, she was unusually stoic and silent as she went about returning the affairs of the school to order. The Death Eaters retreated after the incident as more Order members arrived, and there was a lot of work that had to be done, from cleaning up the school to reassuring parents who now knew that Hogwarts was no longer the safe haven it once was. She had to maintain her composure, especially in front of the staff and students who were relying on her leadership.

Aberforth slid into the seat beside her. He held her hand and asked quietly, "will you be saying a few words for the eulogy later?"

"Will you say them for me?" she asked in return. Aberforth patted her hand and nodded in an understanding manner.

Afterwards, when the two of them were alone, she broke down for the first time in many days and confessed that she regretted never taking action on her feelings towards Albus, especially after he had made so much effort to be more open about his feelings towards her in the recent years.


	34. The maleficent Headmaster

**Chapter 34: The maleficent Headmaster [1997, Autumn – 1998, Summer]**

"How's Minerva doing?" Horace Slughorn asked loudly at the staff table during dinner time while trying to spear a sausage from the platter in front of him.

"Can you be a little bit more sensitive? Minerva is not the same since the Headmaster... you know," Poppy Pomfrey hissed, snatching the platter away from him. Minerva was sitting a few places away from them.

"She's holding up well," Poppy said after a while, "a little too well, in fact," she added as a resigned afterthought.

"Oh, but she has always been a sturdy one," Horace replied absent-mindedly, pulling a plate of pudding towards himself this time.

Just then, Severus Snape, the new Headmaster of Hogwarts, swept into the Great Hall. He was flanked majestically by Alecto and Amycus Carrow, a pair of siblings who had been placed in Hogwarts strategically by the dark lord to aid Severus in his reign of tyranny. Severus took his place at the head of the table and cleared his throat.

"Did I not make myself clear, that I do not wish to hear any discussion whatsoever, of that unfortunate episode?" Horace dropped his pudding while Poppy choked on her sausage.

"Alecto, if you'd please." Alecto Carrow marched over to the both of them smirking, and snatched away the plates of food in front of them.

"I do not take kindly to those who refuse to comply with my orders," Severus said silkily.

Horace and Poppy hurriedly got up from their chairs and excused themselves in order to prevent further embarrassment in front of the students. Minerva spun around and glared at Severus.

"Need you do this?"

He did not reply.

"I'm disappointed," she spat and rose, leaving the Great Hall to go after her colleagues.

Severus lowered his head and began his meal.

xxxxx

"Professor, look out!" Harry yelled as he pushed Minerva away. They met again in the castle as Harry was looking for Ravenclaw's diadem. Amycus Carrow had attempted to spit on Minerva, and Harry would not stand for it.

" _Crucio_!" he mustered all his hate for the Carrows who had been running Hogwarts in a ruthless manner with Snape. As Amycus Carrow writhed in agony, Minerva and Harry looked at each other.

"We can't have him running off can we, Professor?"

"No, we can't," she agreed. " _Imperio_!" She put him under her control with the Imperius Curse. Harry stared her in shock, but she only gave him a small smile and before he could question her about her usage of the Unforgivable Curse, she spoke first. "You may detest the Carrows all very well, Harry, we all know who they are and what they are here for."

She lowered her voice to a whisper, "but I do not wish for you to think about Professor Snape in the same way. You may not agree with me right now, but you'll see."

xxxxx

"It has come to my attention earlier this evening that Harry Potter was sighted here. Now, should anyone, student or staff attempt to aid Mr Potter, they will be punished in a manner consistent with the severity of their transgression. They will be treated as equally guilty," Severus threatened. He had gathered all the staff and students in the Great Hall after receiving news that Harry had returned to the castle in search of something.

"It seems, despite your exhaustive defensive strategies, you still have a little bit of a security problem, Headmaster," Harry jumped out from the crowd while members from the Order of the Phoenix burst in through the front door. "How dare you stand where he stood... Tell them how it happened that night! Tell them how you looked him in the eye, a man who trusted you, and killed him!"

Severus brandished his wand. But before he could do anything, Minerva stepped in front of Harry and pushed him away, drawing hers. The students screamed and parted, knowing that things were about to turn serious.

Severus faltered. He did not wish to fight with Minerva. She would have been a formidable opponent many years ago, but not now.

Strangely, as they exchanged blows, he could tell that she did not wish to fight with him too, for the attacks which she launched were half-hearted. It was almost as if she were trying to tell him to take this opportunity to be relieved from whatever he was doing against his will and make further plans from here. Taking cue, he deflected two spells to take down the Carrows who were standing behind him, and left the castle through the window behind.

After Severus left, Minerva hurried to secure the castle, ordering Argus Filch to lead all the younger students and those who did not wish to join their cause back to their common rooms. She gave instructions to the Order members, staff and students, and animated all the statues, suits of armour and other objects in the castle which would aid in their defence. When she was satisfied with her efforts, she left Filius and Kingsley in charge and went after Severus.

xxxxx

She found Severus lurking in a corner of the Forbidden Forest, almost as if he were waiting for her.

"You knew I was coming?" Minerva asked.

"I knew that you had placed a tracing charm on me."

"And you didn't take it off?"

"I knew that you were determined for answers, Minerva, and you wouldn't let me off so easily. When did you begin to suspect that something was wrong? What was lacking in my performance?" Severus asked.

"Your acting may have won you an award in front of the staff and students, Severus. But to the trained eye, it was at best amateur. There were so many instances – I can't even recount all of them! For one, snatching away their food during meal time was a pathetically childish attempt of being mean. If you were the dictator you tried to be, you'd have locked them all up in the dungeons and whipped them as punishment!" she said, clearly exasperated.

"I see you have a vivid imagination of what a dictator's like." Despite the seriousness of the situation, Severus was amused.

"I don't have to imagine, my dear professor. I know." She remembered the sights of Nurmengard in its past glory.

"And you didn't think of exposing me, before this?" Severus challenged.

"I supposed you had your reasons, and I didn't know if I would be spoiling your plans if I'd stepped in. It was probably best if I stuck to my act as well – that was probably my role," she rolled her eyes.

Severus was stunned at how well she had read the situation when she had no information. He finally understood why Albus Dumbledore was so smitten by this woman. Her acute sense of perception, understanding, tolerance and acceptance of him was and would always be unmatched.

"So? Can you tell me now, or do I have to force some _veritaserum_ on you?" she asked, taking out a small vial from her robes.

"Come with me," Severus led her to a hut, and she saw Albus' Pensieve in it.

"He told me to bring you here if it ever came to this. I don't know the full tale as well, and it's best if you learnt it straight from his memories."


	35. His memories

**Chapter 3** **5: His** **m** **emories** **[1998, Summer]**

 _[1980, Winter]_

"Tom? Is that you?"

Albus stepped into a small hut in the forest of Albania and saw a man lying in a crumpled heap on a small mat. He looked badly burnt and if Albus had known him any less, he would not have recognised the man as Tom. He was shocked to see his state and got onto his knees to examine him immediately.

"Bellatrix Black informed me about your condition. I knew it must be serious if she had to come to me, but I had no idea that it would be this bad."

"You can leave now," Tom croaked, his voice a mixture of anger, fear and sadness. "I know I'm beyond cure."

"No, you're my son, and I will save you, no matter what it takes," Albus gripped his shoulders firmly and looked him in the eye.

"Took you long enough to admit," Tom said bitterly, as he looked away.

xxxxx

It took much coaxing from Albus before Tom would come out with his story. He began carrying a small resentment against Albus when Albus ignored him after he had a problem with his wand which led to Nagini's death. But after he knew who Albus truly was to him, the small resentment which he carried went into full force. He bore a deep grudge and knew that he would have to attain greater powers if he wanted to defeat Albus. Therefore, he turned to the one wizard whom he thought would suit the role of his master very well – Gellert Grindelwald.

Grindelwald was delighted to take Tom under his wing when he learnt that his ultimate goal was to defeat Albus. Tom studied dark magic and attained many other skills under Grindelwald. Although Grindelwald remained chained in his room at the highest tower of Nurmengard, he regained his powers slowly with Tom's help and carried out his will through Tom.

Tom was a brilliant wizard and he proved to be a very useful lieutenant to Grindelwald. Grindelwald gave Tom the name 'Voldemort' and attributed all the atrocities committed during the war to him, even when most of the heinous crimes were carried out by his other followers and Tom was not directly involved. Gradually, Tom came to realise that there was something very wrong with Grindelwald's vision and his worldview was warped. But by then, it was too late for him to be free from Grindelwald's iron grip.

When they learnt about the prophecy that a boy born to parents who defied the dark lord three times would be the downfall of him, Grindelwald ordered Tom to kill both the Longbottoms' and the Potters' babies to prove his loyalty to him. He put a fire curse on Tom such that if Tom failed to do so, he would burn to death. Peter Pettigrew, who turned out to be both the Potters' and the Longbottoms' Secret Keeper by a twist of fate, had betrayed the Order of the Phoenix by then and they knew that both families were hiding in Godric's Hollow. The plan was to send teams of Death Eaters to take down the parents first, while Tom saw to the babies himself.

Tom had arrived at the Potters' cottage first, intending to claim Harry's life before he saw to Neville's. But when Tom looked at baby Harry, all he could think of was the evil ways of Grindelwald and the shame that he had been a part of it all. He could not attack baby Harry, and his body burned as Bellatrix took him away that night.

Tom would have died if not for the combined efforts of his friends within the Death Eaters. Amongst them, Severus proved to be very helpful and his advanced knowledge of potions allowed him to keep his life. Like him, Severus was full of guilt, especially after what happened to Lily Potter, and wanted to leave Grindelwald once and for all. But they had no way out.

The group of them spent a few months hiding from Grindelwald and nursing Tom's wounds, but gradually, they realised that their efforts were not enough and it seemed that the curse would claim his life. This was when Bellatrix decided to write to Dumbledore. Although Tom never said a word about his relationship to Dumbledore and they all knew that his greatest dream was to defeat Dumbledore, she knew that he was close to their old professor during their schooldays and Dumbledore would never refuse him help.

xxxxx

 _[1981, Spring – 1981, Winter]_

Albus poured all his energies into saving Tom, and as the months passed, they made some progress. It was not enough for Tom to be healed or to regain his powers yet, but he could now sit up and carry out simple activities, such as clothing and feeding himself. Even though things were still awkward between them, they had gradually reached a truce, for Tom could tell that Albus was sincere in helping him.

Tom convinced Albus of Severus' remorse and urged Albus to take him under his wing. But he could not speak the same for his other friends. Bellatrix, Augustus Rookwood, Walden MacNair and Ludo Bagman were concerned about Tom due to their friendship from the days spent together in Hogwarts. But when they realised that Tom would not share their vision of a world dominated by pure-bloods, the bonds between them weakened. Bellatrix was especially devastated when they parted ways, for she had been in love with Tom for a long time. She felt betrayed and disappointed that their idealogies would not meet, and this led to her eventual vengefulness.

xxxxx

 _[1982, Spring – 1983, Winter]_

Tom was aghast when he heard about Minerva's decision to marry Elphinstone Urquat. He shut himself up for a few days and refused to speak to Albus. It was only after the wedding, when everything seemed a lost cause and he realised that there was nothing he could do about it, that he came out from his shell. Albus found him sitting with a bottle of firewhisky in the hut one day, looking at a picture of Minerva, Merope and himself when he was younger. It was the only picture of his childhood memories. Minerva would have never allowed a picture with the both of them only; it was too dangerous.

"Tom, no matter what Minerva did, even if she had neglected you while you were growing up, I hope that you wouldn't take it against her. It was entirely my fault," Albus said, as Tom poured him a glass of firewhisky.

"We had happy times together, you know, you mightn't have imagined it," he said, after several moments passed. "When I was young, mother... Merope Gaunt, in this case, was often depressed. But Minerva would come to visit and bring me out. She taught me how to control my magic. Even when I was at the orphanage, she'd slip in as a cat and cheer me up. Of course, she told me that I couldn't let anyone else know that she visited, otherwise she would not be allowed to come any more. It was mostly because of her that I had some happy memories from my childhood."

"Then why were you angry with her? I saw your row in her office on the day you graduated. You seemed so upset," Albus asked gently.

"I was resentful and bitter. I often thought what a different life I could have led after I realised who the both of you were to me. If you had recognised me as your son, I wouldn't have had to spend my childhood chasing after snakes and getting back at people who bullied me, because no one would have. It became so apparent that all the sadness in my life arose because of her decisions, and that was all because of you. I made up my mind to ignore her for the rest of my life, and to get back at you." Tom gave a bitter smile, swirling the firewhisky around in his glass.

"I can't apologise enough for what I did to the both of you," Albus put his glass down, his shoulders slumped.

"But you care about her, don't you? Anyone can see that. Why couldn't you have married her?" Tom finally decided to ask the question he had pondered about all along, despite always pretending that he could not care less.

There was a long moment of silence.

"I was in love with a man, Tom," Albus' voice broke. He could not face his son.

Tom's eyes widened. "You're... _gay_?"

Albus bent his head and took a deep breath. "And as a matter of fact... that man was Gellert Grindelwald." He had never felt so low in his life, not even after the unfortunate incident resulting in Ariana's death.

"And are you still in love with him?" Tom asked after a while, his voice full of wonder at the newfound fact. He felt as if a load had been lifted off his chest; it all made sense now. It did not make him happier, not in the least bit, but if this was the underlying reason for all the misfortune in his life, then he felt that he could at least understand it.

"No, I'm not. But it's too late. I've ruined it for everyone," Albus said miserably, gulping down what was left in his glass and pouring another for himself.

"Well, at least now I understand why Minerva never told me. She probably didn't want me to feel like my very existence was a mistake," Tom laughed bitterly.

"You're not a mistake, Tom. You're my son, and I'll repeat it as many times as I have to to get it into your head," Albus said firmly.

"An illegitimate one, that is," Tom said.

"I shall have to force Minerva to divorce Elphinstone Urquat and marry me this instant," Albus set his glass down and stood up abruptly. He had never felt so determined about the whole matter before.

"No," Tom held him back. "I've survived all this while as Tom Riddle, and it won't hurt to continue as such. I don't want you to rush into something, without being sure," Tom, as a master of suffering himself, understood that Albus must have suffered all his life because of who he was, and he did not want him to be further burdened.

"And this is not the time," he continued. "I don't think any of us can be truly happy as long as Grindelwald is still out there plotting his madness. He's lying low now because I'm gone, but his followers are still out there, and I know one day he will rise again when he gains enough strength. We should focus our efforts on bringing him down once and for all, and I'd rather you concentrate on helping me regain my powers so that I can help you defeat him, rather than run off to settle something which you may not even be able to in the first place."

Albus looked at Tom in surprise. He could not believe how mature and understanding Tom was about the matter, and he was grateful.

"But you must eventually take my name," Albus said, as he sat back into his chair.

"Perhaps. But for now, this is good enough for me," Tom said, as he poured Albus another glass.

xxxxx

 _[1984, Spring – 1994, Summer]_

Over the years, Albus helped Tom to regain his health. But they also found out about a terrible thing that Grindelwald had done. Tom could never fully regain his powers for Grindelwald had tied their fates together through an ancient curse. Tom became weaker as Grindelwald grew stronger, and hence, for Tom to fully regain himself, Grindelwald would have to be utterly destroyed. It was no easy feat as Grindelwald had attempted to achieve immortality by splitting his soul into horcruxes, and they had no idea how many horcruxes he already had, or was intending to make. They could not charge into Nurmengard and confront him as well, for they found out that he had already escaped his prison and was hiding somewhere else. Nurmengard was no longer his headquarters, but merely one of the many bases for the Death Eaters.

But the link between Grindewald and Tom had its uses as well. On days where Tom felt stronger, they knew that Grindelwald was weak and they could use this to their advantage in foiling his plans. As Tom regained his health, he was also gradually able to assist Albus more by gathering information, forming plans and acting on them. He had inherited Minerva's talents in every bit of those aspects.

It was Tom who informed Albus about Grindelwald's plan to steal the Sorceror's Stone through Quirinus Quirrell, allowing them to foil both his attempts at Gringotts and at Hogwarts. It was Tom who found Sirius first, when Sirius was still on the run from the Ministry. Sirius had wanted to resume his old life immediately since Albus believed him. But Albus insisted that Sirius had to go through a proper trial or he would never be able to clear his name, which led to his stint in Azkaban. When Sirius turned up at Hogwarts, Albus had to act as if it were the first time he was coming into contact with Sirius to keep Minerva's suspicions, if any, at bay. Amidst all of it, the one thing which Albus and Tom strictly adhered to was not to involve Minerva in whatever they were doing. Neither of them could afford the risk of losing her.

xxxxx

 _[1994, Autumn – 1996, Summer]_

"How's she?" Tom asked in fear.

Sirius had come to inform him about what happened at the Department of Mysteries. He knew Grindelwald was going for something big ever since he sent Bartemius Crouch Jr to Hogwarts as a spy, and informed Albus that he had better officially revive the Order of the Phoenix to counter Grindelwald's forces. Sirius began to act as as a liaison between the Order and Tom since he was the only person, other than Albus and Severus, who was aware of Tom's involvement in their plans to bring about the downfall of the dark lord. Severus had to keep his distance away from all of them as Albus wished for him to become a double-spy again if the need arose.

"She's in a bad condition. She came to bring me back because everyone thought I would act recklessly. And it was true, I would have fallen beyond the Veil if she hadn't protected me from Bellatrix Lestrange. It was all my fault," Sirius said miserably.

"No, it was my fault. I should have been there, I might have been able protect her," Tom was full of regret. "Can I visit her?"

"I'll discuss with Sn... Severus and we'll find a way somehow," Sirius promised. This was a time to put away his differences with dear old Snivellus. "Dumbledore is in no shape to do anything at the moment. I expect you know all about what he'd done to Nurmengard," he explained.

Tom nodded. Albus' grief was shocking, even to him. Perhaps the day where he would officially be recognised as the great Albus Dumbledore's son was not far off.

xxxxx

 _[1996, Autumn – 1998, Summer]_

"Must I really do this?" Severus scowled at Albus and Tom.

They had just decided that the only way for him to fully regain Grindelwald's trust, was for him to be the one to finish Albus off. Albus' death was essential for Grindelwald to be assured of his safety and appear personally in front of them. They needed to face him off squarely once all his other horcruxes had been destroyed, if they were to finish him once and for all, given that he was his own, last horcrux.

"Yes, you must. We must have gone over the plan a hundred times by now, are you sure you want to go through it once more?" Tom scowled back at him.

Severus had tried to argue that Tom could do it and attempt to regain favour with Grindelwald again if it was absolutely necessary. But they all knew that Tom was a lost cause. He had personally foiled Grindelwald's plans so many times that Grindelwald would never believe that he was on his side again, even if they placed him under the Imperius Curse or a memory charm.

"Minerva will hex me into oblivion," Severus said miserably.

"If only she could," it was Albus' turn to be miserable. He was still worried about her condition.

The three men looked at each other and sighed, wondering when all the terror would come to an end.


	36. The final battle

**Chapter 36: The final battle [1998, Summer]**

"You shouldn't be here, Tonks! Think of your child!" Minerva scolded.

She hurried back to the castle once she understood everything, leaving her emotions for later. Severus had gone off to keep up with his act of belonging with the dark side.

"But, Remus!" Tonks protested. She had appeared in Hogwarts despite the fact that she was pregnant and should not be doing any fighting.

"We'll keep him safe. Augusta, could you bring her back to Grimmauld Place and make sure she doesn't go running off again?" Minerva addressed the both of them sternly.

"I'll escort Tonks, but I'd prefer to come back and join in the fight afterwards..."

"No, I'd prefer if you did not. You have Frank, Alice and Neville to think about. I'll make sure Neville is safe – he did a wonderful job blowing up the bridge with Seamus just."

Augusta started to argue, but Minerva would hear none of it. She did not think that she could stand another loss of her oldest friends after Emmeline was killed by Death Eaters somewhere near the Muggle Prime Minister's residence earlier that year.

xxxxx

Minerva took down a Death Eater as she made her way to where the battle was the fiercest. As she saw the scene of pandemonium unfolding in front of her, she berated herself for allowing her students to fight. But this was not the time to be soft. She steadied her wand and ran to back Remus up. But before she could make any progress, she heard a commotion at the gates. There were screams of fear but cheers of delight at the same time; the latter apparently from the Death Eaters.

The dark lord had arrived.

All activity came to a halt as Gellert Grindelwald made his grand entrance; elegant and regal. The crowd fell silent as they were slowly mesmerised, parting for him to enter the school grounds. He was like a sleek, majestic panther, slowly advancing on his prey without giving any notion that he was about to entrap it. And soon, he found her.

"Minerva McGonagall. How many years has it been?"

The crowd watched in awe, as he smiled and extended his hand to her. She froze, either spellbound or in fear – she could not distinguish. But she nearly took his hand, for he seemed so kind and gentle indeed, much like Albus. It was only when she looked up and saw that familiar, mad glint in his eye, when she snapped out of her trance.

"Be careful!" she shouted at everyone on her side. "Grindelwald has the ability to bewitch and we'll all fall under his spell if we're not careful!"

She injected power into her words and it seemed to take effect. Moments later, people were picking up their wands and beginning to fight again.

"You!" Grindelwald snarled, dropping his mask of kindness and regality, brandishing his wand. "All these years, you stood in our way. I offered you a chance to be with us, to create a new order, but you rejected my kindness. Albus and I could have achieved great things together... he would have come back to me... if it were not for YOU!" he roared as he threw a flurry of hexes at her.

Everyone watched in horror, too slow to come to her aid as she struggled to deflect all the spells, transfiguring anything she could in her way to shield herself. But she was completely overwhelmed. Aberforth, Elphias and Alastor tried to reach her, but they were not in time. She closed her eyes, focusing all her power into her shield charm, expecting it to break any moment, awaiting the final blow.

"Keep your hands off her!" She heard someone growl and saw a figure leap in front of her to duel against Grindelwald. It was Tom! She could not believe that this was the sort of circumstances which they would be reunited under, but she was ecstatic to see him.

Tom fought fiercely, on par with Grindelwald and overpowering him at times, and she could tell that everyone was surprised to see such a powerful wizard amongst them, one whom they had never seen before.

But before she could catch her breath after her intense ordeal, someone else was throwing curses at her and she suffered a hit on her ribs, the exact spot where Grindelwald had hit her at the Death Chamber. Her lips upturned in bitter irony as she fell to the ground. The person must have hated her so very much indeed to have taken advantage of her moment of weakness. The feeling was all too familiar when she looked up and saw Bellatrix Lestrange with her wand pointing at her, as it were in Godric's Hollow. She heard a howl of despair as she saw Tom blast Bellatrix away with a curse.

She tried to get back to her feet but blood was seeping out from her ribcage so quickly; she realised for the first time that she was not going to make it.

"Minerva!"

Amidst the chaos, she saw that Albus was back with them again. He blasted off a group of Death Eaters who were sneaking up behind Remus and Harry and rushed towards her. He gathered her in his arms and carried her to a nearby spot behind a large bush, away from the heat of the various ongoing battles.

"How did this happen?" he stared in horror at her injury and attempted to stop the bleeding with a few spells. He must have missed the highlights of her battles where Grindelwald and Bellatrix were treating her like a punch bag. His hands trembled, losing their normal dexterity, and she could tell that he was in the midst of shattering. He had kept his promise of returning to her safely, only to find out that she was leaving him first.

"Albus... I'm glad... to see you again," she wheezed as her eyes fluttered shut. She was losing her breath and her mind was swimming. When she opened her eyes again, she saw both Albus and Tom staring at her with frightened looks and tears glistening.

"Mother?" Tom called in a whisper, clasping her hands tightly.

"My dear boy, I'm so sorry for everything," she managed. "You have suffered all these years... because of my incompetence," her eyes closed again and her mind spun.

"Make amends, Thomas, you have much left in you to do good for society," she said as she forced her eyes open one last time and took a long look at her son.

"Minerva..." Albus whispered, trembling as he cradled her head.

"Albus... I am thankful for a lifetime with you," she gave him a final smile – the warm smile which she kept specially for him – and her eyes closed for eternity as he kissed her.

His heart plunged as the body in his embrace went limp, and the lips beneath his turned cold. There was no marriage; never an official recognition of their relationship, but Albus Dumbledore knew, that without this woman who had just faded away in his arms, his life would have ended back when he was eighteen years old. It took her a lifetime to win his heart, but when she finally did, it was hers to keep forever.

"No, my love, it is I who have much to thank for," he whispered as he held her tight. He closed his eyes to steady himself. He could not allow himself to fall into despair; this was not the time. And really, after he thought about it calmly, there was no need to. When he was ready, he opened his eyes again, and his mind was now clear.

He turned to his son beside him who looked completely broken. Aberforth and Elphias were running towards them; they had briefly relieved Tom from his fighting with Grindelwald earlier on but sensing that something was wrong, they handed over the reins to Kingsley and Severus who had finally made his loyalties clear.

"With the curses we have both suffered, your mother and I would not have had long to live after this battle," Albus spoke quickly, but clearly, to Tom.

Aberforth and Elphias were initially worried that that Albus would go berserk and start burning Hogwarts down after they saw that Minerva had left them. But from the way he spoke, they were now worried that he had become deluded instead.

"'Your mother and I'? What in Merlin's name, Albus!" Elphias shouted in fury. Why was he behaving in such an impossible manner at the height of the battle? But Tom's reaction told them that Albus was not making up stories from a bout of delusion.

"Listen to me, Aberforth, Elphias. I'm perfectly sane and I want the both of you to bear witness to what I have to say. Tom... Thomas, is our son. I married Minerva right after she graduated and we kept it a secret because I didn't want to endanger her. Her marriage with Elphinstone Urquat later on was just a ruse to keep our secret safe," he said firmly.

Aberforth and Elphias stared at him, speechless.

He turned to his son again. "Your mother and I could not have lived, but you have a chance to regain yourself fully. The horcruxes are destroyed, and the Elder Wand is now with you. You will find it in yourself to defeat him once and for all, and to do as your mother last instructed. I too, have to finish up what I came here for," he said.

He knew that Tom understood the situation well when the broken look on his face changed into a determined one. Tom nodded, and gave him a sudden hug. He hugged his son back with one arm, the other still holding onto Minerva, and looked on as his son hurried away to finish Grindelwald off.

Aberforth and Elphias continued to gape at him.

"There's one last thing," he said. "Frank, Alice, James and Lily have been unconscious for too long and it's high time we revive them. This is something which I have never told Minerva before, but Tom knows. There is no such thing as cheating death. The best one can ever do is to make a proportionate sacrifice. What this means is that for a person who has consumed the life-and-death potion and has been hit by the Killing Curse to live, another must die. The people who must be sacrificed are those who were the most heavily involved in the making of the event. The castors of the spell, the mastermind of the attack, the creator of the potion, any one of these to make up an equal number of lives."

"Albus!" Aberforth gasped, flabbergasted. Albus knew that he understood. His brother was never, ever dimwitted. Far from it, he was one of the brightest chaps he had ever known, and could have done a lot more had he not chosen to spend the rest of his life in the company of goats, in memory of their sister.

"During the tragic events at Godric's Hollow, Bartemius Crouch Jr was the one who attacked Frank and Alice. Bellatrix Lestrange, James and Lily. They are both dead now – I saw Molly finishing off Bellatrix just now. Grindelwald is the mastermind, and Tom will defeat him. This leaves me, the creator of the potion."

"My dear old fellow! Have you lost all your lemon drops? What have you been saying from just now?" Elphias cried in fear, as he reached for his best friend whom he had known for almost all his life.

"Don't be sorry for me. I'm gratified to see my son defeat the most dangerous dark wizard of all time and to think that I can finally be with my wife properly, after death. To the well-organised mind, death is but the next great adventure," he patted their shoulders.

"Albus Dumbledore!" Grindelwald shrieked, as Tom blasted him towards Albus. He was heavily injured and drawing his last breaths.

Albus turned to face him squarely, holding Minerva tight.

"I never knew... what you saw in that ladycat," Gellert panted. "She could never have matched your intellect or your magical prowess, Albus... you would have been much better off with me," Gellert sounded heartbroken as he called Albus' name for the last time.

"But she possessed tremendous inner strength and goodness, that which you would never have equaled. I could not have asked for a better partner than my Minerva," Albus stood firm and looked him in the eye harshly, none of his old feelings left.

"You won't get away with this, you know that, don't you? If I'm going down, you're coming with me," Gellert snarled, seeing that Albus was truly, finally lost to him forever. He raised his wand.

"Go on then," Albus said as he lifted his own wand, still clasping Minerva to him with his other arm. "I can only blame myself for having been foolish enough to have ever believed in you." Tom pointed his wand dangerously at Grindelwald.

Explosions erupted from all three wands at the same time, and when the smoke cleared, the curtains of an era had fallen, for the two legendary wizards, Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald, had both become history.


	37. And a new world begins

**Chapter 37: And a new world begins [1998, Summer]**

The dust had settled. All that was left was a lingering scent of melancholy in the air which whispered the remnants of what happened two days ago. But this too, would come to pass, and as the sun rose for the third day, a new breath of hope infused those who had survived the dark episode.

xxxxx

"What will you do, Tom?" Horace Slughorn asked carefully. He, Severus and Tom stood at the balcony outside the Headmaster's office which overlooked the Great Lake that stretched across the horizon.

"Beautiful view, isn't it? Why hadn't I noticed all those years back when I was a student here," Tom mused, to no one in particular.

"I'd hate to interrupt your reminiscence, Tom, but you really have to decide..." Horace started. But Severus gave him a pointed look and he sighed and took the hint.

"All right, you may take your time to communicate, I'll take my leave first. But you know Severus," he lowered his voice and pulled Severus away, "as Headmaster, you really should put your mind to these matters. Despite the fact that he was never truly bad, and that... that he is... of Dumbledore's blood," Horace swallowed, he still found it difficult to understand and accept the issue of Tom's heritage, "it will take time for people to understand that there was never a 'Lord Voldemort' and Grindelwald was the only mastermind. It will do nothing to reassure the parents and students who did not witness the battle if he continues to remain here."

Severus sighed in resignation. If Professor Slughorn, Tom's very own Head of House during his time at Hogwarts, would not be accepting of his circumstances, then all would be to nought. There would be no hope of asking or allowing Tom to remain at Hogwarts, no matter what his or Tom's wishes were.

"Thank you Horace, I'll handle it," Severus sent him off with a curt nod.

"Couldn't wait to get rid of me, could he?" Tom asked drily, as Severus joined him back at the balcony. Severus smirked.

"Nothing has changed for old Slughorn. Loves fame, talent, power, but would never allow a single notion that suggests he has any association with dark magic. How nice."

"Your opinion and regard for dark magic hasn't changed then, I see."

"Has yours?" Tom asked, slightly amused.

"It is... a seductive branch of magic," Severus agreed with a small smile.

"Of course. I recall the string of dark spells you threw at me when we were duelling for the Elder Wand," Tom laughed, as Severus turned slightly red. When Severus blasted Albus off the Astronomy Tower the year before, he had won the Elder Wand from Albus, which Albus had won from Grindelwald in their legendary duel many years back. Tom challenged Severus for the Elder Wand afterwards as he needed it to defeat Grindelwald who had been so fortified with dark magic.

"Dark magic is all right if it isn't used for the wrong cause. My parents were extraordinarily skilled in it too, you know," Tom continued. Severus was just starting to get used to the idea that Tom was Albus and Minerva's son. Even though he had been heavily involved in Albus and Tom's plans, they never once told him about their relationship.

"There is no magic that Albus Dumbledore cannot wield. It is harder to imagine Minerva using it, even though I know she probably did. She was more up(tight)... principled."

"Oh, you wouldn't have guessed. My father told me that my mother was the one who came up with the idea for the life-and-death potion. She couldn't have done it if she hadn't dabbled with the dark arts," Tom chuckled in good humour while Severus raised his eyebrows. He was not expecting that revelation.

"Severus, I am heading to Durmstrang," Tom said, after a while. Severus looked at him.

"Igor and I go a long way back, as you know. I've heard about his intimidating ways of managing his students these years, and I intend to have a word with him about it," Tom smirked.

Severus thought about it for a moment. Perhaps, this was for the best. Durmstrang was a place which was more receptive towards the darker branches of magic and wizards and witches who had dark pasts, and many students from that school who excelled in the dark arts managed to put their skills to good use in society, for instance, catching rogue wizards and fighting the dark with the dark. It was indeed a place where Tom could flourish.

"And what about the... funerals of..." Severus still found it hard to talk about the deaths of his dearest mentors.

"I will bring them back to Godric's Hollow to be together. It is what my father had wanted. Aberforth has already given me his blessings for this," Tom reassured.

"Hogwarts already has the white tomb..." Severus tried again.

"Let it remain a monument. Nobody needs two funerals in their life. Having one is already tragic enough," Tom said with finality. His heart became lighter as his conversation with Severus came to an end. Perhaps he too, would eventually be able to put everything behind him and look forward to the future. He remembered his mother's last words to him, "make amends, Thomas, you have much left in you to do good for society..."

xxxxx

"Mum? Dad?" Harry whispered, as Lily and James Potter slowly came to. At the other side of the room, Neville was with his parents, and Alice and Frank Longbottom were stirring as well.

"I can't believe this is happening," Augusta sobbed, as she wiped the fat tears leaking out of her eyes with a lacy handkerchief.

"Now, now," Molly tried to comfort her, but she too, was weeping quite inadvertently.

"It is a happy day, my dear ladies, what's the cause for all these tears?" Arthur tried for a hearty voice, but he too, did not sound quite convinced.

They have all fought so hard for this moment – ridding Lily, James, Alice and Frank of their curses was the ultimate symbol that the dark times had indeed past. And yet, peace and good times were so hard-earned that none of them had any energy left to call for a round of celebrations.

"Well, at any rate, I am truly glad that our friends here have been rid of their predicament. I am sure those of us who perished heroically over the long course of our fight would feel the same too," Kingsley Shacklebolt, ever the voice of reason, walked into the room and made an attempt to comfort everyone.

Many of the Order members were still recuperating, some from serious injuries which could be permanent. The prognosis for Fred Weasley, for one, was grave and he may be paralysed for life. Arthur and Molly were just glad that he survived the ordeal, for his injuries were so serious that he may not have had a chance if Tom had not stepped in to help with his expertise. But fortunately, other than Albus and Minerva, no one else from the Order died in the last battle.

"Tonks just had her baby," Kingsley informed everyone with a grin, lifting the mood in the room at once. "Once things settle, we should be able to reconvene at Grimmauld Place for a few drinks."

"That'd be nice!" cheered Ron. Hermione and Ginny both gave Kingsley a hug before he went off.

Lily and James were both fully awake by then. "Harry?" Lily whispered, not daring to believe her eyes.

"Mum!" Harry yelled, before pulling both Lily and James into a huge bear hug.

xxxxx

 _Epilogue [2017, Autumn]_

"Will someone tell me what's going on?" Severus tried to keep his scary, silky tone even as he was rather stunned by the scene in front of him in Slytherin's common room. Never in all his years at Hogwarts had he come across such a rowdy batch of students. He had to see to it personally as the Bloody Baron and the other ghosts had burst into his office complaining about the noise that the Slytherins were making, in turn making quite a racket themselves and causing his head to split. The Head of Slytherin House was in the Infirmary recovering from a sudden bout of flu.

The Slytherins were jumping up and down the couches, clinking mugs of butterbeer and popping crackers and latest pyrotechnics obtained from Weasleys Wizard Wheezes. Some of them were participating in a war dance; circling the central fireplace and waving banners of a certain wizard. Others were sprawling all over the room which seemed to have turned into a bazaar – groups of students were everywhere in heated discussion, trading items such such as t-shirts, magazines and chocolate frog cards of the same wizard. To his amazement, the din seemed to be led by the first-years who were newly sorted into the House earlier that evening. Their ridiculous level of enthusiasm at being sorted into Slytherin, which was already apparent during the Start-of-Term Feast, seemed to have influenced the upperclassmen to join in the frenzy.

Severus waved his wand and the crackers, banners and other items disappeared at once, forcing the party to come to an end. Only then did the students realise that he was standing at the doorway.

"What's this?" He turned angrily to the seventh-year prefects for an explanation, truly annoyed now. Students _never_ disregarded his presence in this manner. It was no wonder the Head of Slytherin House slipped away quietly to the Infirmary. Her gentle nature would have never abled her to deal with this unruly situation.

To his surprise, it was a first-year who stepped forward with an explanation.

"Headmaster... we are very sorry if we have caused any trouble," he began shakily, giving Severus a frightened look. It was Albus Severus Potter, Harry Potter's younger son, and his part namesake. Severus' relationship with the Potters had improved gradually over the years, and he knew the boy before he entered Hogwarts. He was half-expecting the boy to be sulking somewhere because he had not been sorted into Gryffindor like older brother, James Sirius, and the rest of his family. But he seemed excited enough; jumping up and down the three-legged stool when it was announced that he would be in Slytherin at the Sorting Ceremony.

"And do you have an explanation?" In spite of his anger, Severus could not help but soften his tone as he bent down slightly to face the scrawny first-year. He looked terribly like Harry when he first started at Hogwarts.

"We were just celebrating, Professor. We were so happy... so _proud_ to be in Slytherin, and the seniors were happy for us too. We meant no harm," Albus Severus stammered.

Severus frowned. "But surely, you can't be so _exuberated_ just because of your House, Potter. This is only your first day in school and you can't know much about the House yet."

"Oh, but we are, sir. We are really pleased because it's such an _honour_!" Albus Severus said earnestly while the other first-years around him nodded in wide-eyed admiration. "It _thrills_ us to know that we are in the same House as the great Thomas Dumbledore!" Albus Severus gushed.

Oh. _That's_ _why_. Severus could see where all this was coming from now. The great Thomas Dumbledore. For when was the last time a day had passed without any mention of him in the newspapers?

In a matter of two decades, Tom Riddle, or Thomas Dumbledore, as he was now rightfully known as, made such an impact in the wizarding world that society's view of Slytherins completely reversed. He revolutionised the teaching and culture of Durmstrang Institute. He invented many spells and potions against dark magic but at the same time, took steps to educate society about it, ridding the stigma and stereotypes of certain branches such as the study of Parseltongue. He ran a network of rehabilitation facilities in several countries for dark wizards and witches who wished to break off with their past. And most recently, he led a European coalition of wizards and witches to take down foreign wizards and witches who had declared war against them – his greatest achievement yet. They won a resounding victory and in addition to the titles of Grand Sorceror and Order of Merlin, First Class which he had already received, he was asked to be the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, to maintain international peace.

After his last achievement, society revisited his role in the downfall of Grindelwald, attributing the fact that there was never a full-blown war in the 1990s to his undercover efforts, and Grindelwald's death in the final battle to his masterful duelling. Horace Slughorn regretted asking him to leave Hogwarts once he recognised the profound impact which he had made, while Sybill Trelawney boasted that her prophecy had been accurate after all – that a boy born to parents who defied the dark lord, Grindelwald, would be the downfall of him. People grew to believe that Slytherins were great and powerful, and it was 'so cool!' and 'absolutely wicked!' to be a Slytherin. And while Severus liked to believe he had contributed in some way; having done a decent job at being the Headmaster of Hogwarts, he knew that his achievements could not compare with Thomas'. His was the apotheosis of redemption.

Albus Severus waved a copy of the Defence Against the Dark Arts textbook written by Thomas which he and his friends were ogling at earlier on, and asked Severus excitedly, "will we be hosting the Triwizard Tournament this year? Does he come for the tournament? Do you think I'll be able to get his autograph?"

"You'd do better honing your skills and trying to _be_ like him, Potter, instead of hankering after his autograph," he said drily. But he allowed his lips to slightly upturn after seeing the boy's crestfallen face. "We'll be holding the Triwizard Tournament at Hogwarts again next year, and he may come."

Cheers erupted throughout the room and Severus had to send sparks into the air once more for silence. He gave them, especially the older students, a tongue-lashing about their behaviour and sent them all off to bed before turning back towards the door.

"And who's this, Headmaster?" Albus Severus ran after him holding a chocolate frog card as he stepped out of the door.

"You don't know who Albus Dumbledore is?" Severus stared at the boy incredulously now, not bothering to dress his voice in its usual silk nor disguise the fact that he was completely bewildered this time. He would have allowed his jaw to drop if he did not have to keep up his image as the Headmaster. What on Merlin's honour had Harry Potter been teaching his children? Perhaps, nothing at all since he always dozed off in Professor Binns' classes. But he would have expected better of Ginny Weasley, or the boy's grandparents.

"Oh, of course I do, I was named after him! He was a famous wizard with a perfect family – a sickly wife and a noble son who's my hero, wasn't he? My father said he was a good man – he kept his marriage a secret to protect his wife who was weak and ill, from the most powerful dark wizard of all, Grindelwald. It's just that... I don't understand. _How_ can it say here that he defeated Grindelwald when it was _clearly my hero who did it_?" Albus Severus pressed.

Severus sighed deeply. He had met his match today. He did not even know where to begin when faced with one so young and so full of wonder and ideals of the world.

"Minerva McGonagall was a powerful witch, Albus. Her portrait is among those in my office."

"Hmm? I heard that she couldn't even take down a boggart by herself."

Indeed, history was very long and the most recent events were best remembered.

"That's it, Potter. I'll send you for extra classes with Professor Binns starting from tomorrow and you can ask him all you wish. Now, off to bed with you!" Severus said with finality as he hurried off. He did not envy Professor Binns' nor the Head of Slytherin House's jobs in the coming years.

-End-

 _A/N: Thank you for reading and I hope it was not too far-fetched! I do feel quite sorry for Elphinstone, but oh well, it was all for the greater good (thanks, Grindelwald!_ :p _). And I really wanted Severus to be happier. He's had such a sad life from his one-sided love for Lily, I'd like to think that he continued on as the Headmaster of Hogwarts and perhaps have a second chance at love later on in his life.  
_


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